The Ways of Her Home

Embracing the homeward call

Kitchen and Bath Faves and Finds

Good morning! It’s a fresh day with some fresh new faves and finds for kitchen and bath! These are just a few items I’ve been enjoying lately. ***** KITCHEN TOWELS & SOAP To go with the lemon placemats I found earlier in the season, Dollar General now has these lemon tea towels. They are just $3.50 for a pack of two, making them $1.75 a piece! I also picked up the lemon hand soap there as well. I got one towel/soap set for myself, and another set to take to my sister (She gave me that teapot in the photo!). The kids and I are leaving today to spend a few days with her family and we are so excited! Allison, if you read this before I get there, just act surprised! My sister-in-law gave ... Read more

Fluff the Nest Friday: Patio Paint Project

Around here, Friday is the day to "fluff the nest", which is just a much cuter way of saying "clean the house". Am I right? So my Friday posts are all about tidying up and getting the house fresh and in order for the weekend. Some weeks my nest-fluffing comes more easily than others. I need motivation each Friday. ***** Happy Friday, friends! I have a lot to catch up on inside the house today because lately I’ve put more of my time into whipping the patio and yard into shape. So, I’m just going to share with you one of the projects we’ve accomplished outside, before I get back to my usual Friday fluffing routine inside the house. Our patio table and chairs (above) had seen better days. We ... Read more

Mole Chicken with Mexican Garden Salad

I’m a salad girl. Seriously, salad is one of my very favorite meals! I’m always experimenting with new recipes so I’ll have variety in my salad rotation. I recently tried this recipe for Mole Chicken from an old Southern Living magazine, and paired it with a Mexican Garden Salad that I made up. Two words: new favorite! Mole Chicken  Season 4 or 5 chicken breast lightly with salt (I used 5 thinner breasts). Mix together the following 6 dry ingredients in a bowl (see below). Rub and press the mixture into the chicken, and then grill it. -2 Tbsp light brown sugar -1 1/2 tsp chili powder -1 1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa  -1/2 tsp coarse-grain salt  -1/2 tsp ground black pepper -1/4 tsp cinnamon ... Read more

Glittery Glow Jars

If you’ve got a little girl, tween, or teen who loves to craft, glittery glow jars are an fun summer project she will love! With their colorful flickery glow, they create an enchanting tablescape for summer evenings on the patio. My Country Girl first made some of these to surprise me with for Mother’s Day last year, and has been making them ever since for a number of gift-giving occasions. I think she originally found the idea on the American Girl website. If your girl is like mine, and crafting is a daily occurrence during her summer break, I know how helpful it is to find new ideas for keeping those creative hands busy. So, I asked CG to make a new batch of glittery glow jars so she ... Read more

Fluff the Nest Friday: Blitz the House!

Around here, Friday is the day to "fluff the nest", which is just a much cuter way of saying "clean the house". Am I right? So my Friday posts are all about tidying up and getting the house fresh and in order for the weekend. Some weeks my nest-fluffing comes more easily than others. I need motivation each Friday. ***** My last two Fluff the Nest posts have been all about getting the kiddos on board with household chores. My first post started with the basics of picking up their own bedroom in “The ABC Pickup”. The following post moved on to daily tasks in “Chores for Children”. Today we’re going to talk about the big cleanups that need to happen that aren’t scheduled as part of the daily ... Read more

Summer Supper Menu for the Ladies

A couple of weeks ago, my girls and I enjoyed a fun reason to get together with some moms and daughters and grandmothers in our home. A dear friend of mine is a Noonday ambassador, and so we hosted a trunk show with a light summer supper. Since it was just us girls for the evening, I decided on a menu of what we like to call lady food! You know, the salads, crackers, veggies, dips, and fruits kind of meal? I’ve learned to eliminate some fuss by making some of the foods and purchasing the rest premade. There were two supper recipes I really wanted to make—Tomato Pesto Tart and Pimiento Cheese—so I made those and purchased chicken salad and spinach artichoke dip from Costco. I also added a ... Read more

Summer Snacking

I’m popping in for just a minute today to share our new favorite snack: Ranch Snack Mix, adapted from Taste of Home! This is the easiest thing in the world to mix up, and has been perfect for snacking at home, pool, or lake. One batch makes SO much that I can put half in the freezer for another occasion (or two!). Then I have it ready for a surprise guest, to give as a gift, or to take to a party when I don’t want to go empty-handed. Ranch Snack Mix  1 (12-oz) package mini pretzels 2 (6-oz) packages plain bugles 1 (10-oz) can salted cashews (can substitute peanuts for a cheaper option) 1 (6-oz) package cheddar fish-shaped crackers 2 envelopes ranch mix 3/4 cup canola oil (vegetable oil is ... Read more

Independence Day 2019: Country, Community, and Church

Hello! I hope you all had a spectacular Independence Day last week! Our family enjoyed a day that offered blessings of country, community, and church. We were home throughout the morning, working on various housekeeping chores and projects, but stopped at lunch for our traditional 4th of July hamburgers. During our lunch, we got into a discussion about a podcast on Focus on the Family about our founding fathers, and the privilege of living in an America that was founded on Christian principles—principles that allow us freedom of worship, among many other wonderful freedoms! That afternoon, we had the honor of attending the 100th birthday celebration of a family farm! This farm is owned ... Read more