The Ways of Her Home

Embracing the homeward call

Charity Lemonade Stand

Last Saturday Incredi-Boy and his sweet little friend ran a lemonade stand in our front yard for a very worthy cause! Our small group families are raising funds to purchase athletic equipment for the children of Mtendere Village in Malawi, Africa. We've encouraged the kids in the group to think of extra jobs they could do, or little fundraisers of their own to help contribute. Incredi-Boy’s friend and her family are also in our small group, and they live a few doors down from us, so a neighborhood lemonade sale seemed to be an ideal project for them to collaborate on. Both of our families sponsor children at Mtendere, so this cause is near and dear to our hearts. In fact, the other mama ... Read more

Mom’s Summer Reading List

Good summer morning to you! This one’s for the book worms out there! In addition to catching up on the household chores and projects I can’t get to during the school year, I’m working on catching up on some reading. I have several books I either started during the school year and didn’t finish, or couldn’t even get to altogether. And there are also books I’ve read in years past and have put back on my list for a reread. At the end of this post I’ll tell you what I’ve done this summer to try and reach my reading goals, or at least come close. So stick around! Don’t feel like you've got to read this entire list, but feel free to only look at the topics of interest for you. So here goes! The ... Read more

Fluff the Nest Friday: The ABC Pickup

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. ***** A while back, I was chatting with some mom friends, and a younger mom asked about chores for her young children. How much is too much or too little to expect from children of various ages? I’ve actually had some posts in mind for this topic, and my friend’s inquiry got me to thinking I should dust those ideas off and go ahead and share them. I’m certainly no expert on the ... Read more

Coconut Cream Cake

  Good Monday morning! Blessings to you all for this fresh new week! I don't usually post on Mondays anymore, but we had such an enjoyable Father’s Day weekend and I want to share a part of it with you! And of course it’s a recipe! Haha. On Saturday we celebrated an early Father’s Day with my husband’s dad and mom. We took them out for lunch at a great Thai restaurant and then back to our house for dessert and visiting. Since my husband loves coconut, and I knew my F-I-L does too, I made this Coconut Cream Cake from Southern Living. I like that the toasted coconut adds a little brown color to the top of the cake. It went well with a burlap table runner to make the table display a tad ... Read more

Father’s Day Meal for the Meat and Potatoes Guy!

  Since Father’s Day is coming up this weekend, I thought I’d share some recipes for a special occasion meal that my kids’ number one Dad always enjoys! What man doesn’t love red meat with a side of starch? Here’s a meat and potatoes meal that’s always a winner with our Super Dad, and I’m assuming it would be with most other men as well. Let’s start with the MEAT!! I season some New York Strips with my favorite go-to seasoning from the Biltmore Traditions cookbook. It’s a very flavorful seasoning, full of herbs and spices. I always triple or quadruple the recipe to have plenty of extra on hand for other meals. I love this on beef, chicken, pork, fish, and potatoes! 1 1/2 tsp dried ... Read more

Birthday Melodies

My oldest daughter, Piano Girl, is in her first year as a music major in a local Christian university. She is loving it, learning a lot, and making great friends! A while back, her little sister and a couple of friends started to talk about a wanting to throw a surprise party for her 19th birthday! With their help, everything came together without the birthday girl suspecting a thing! One of the girls attends the same college as Piano Girl so she took care of the guest list, scheduling, and inviting. This was a huge help since I had not yet met some of the new friends and didn’t know how to contact them. Country Girl helped with color and pattern choices for the tables. We purchased ... Read more

Sloppy Joes for 4 or 24

Sloppy Joes make a warm and filling meal for a chilly weeknight at home, or to feed a crowd at a large gathering! When making this for my own family, I cook the meat mixture right before serving it for dinner. But when preparing it for a larger gathering, I cook and freeze the mixture days in advance. On the day of the gathering, it's ready to be thawed and warmed up in a crock pot on low. I adapted this recipe from one by Rachel Ray, leaving out the bell pepper for those in my family who consider them an abomination, and making a few other minor adjustments. What I post here reflects my changes. Sloppy Joes for 4 Ingredients: 1 Tbsp. olive oil salt 1/2 medium onion, chopped 1 1/4 pounds ... Read more

Her Hands, Her Home

Among the women I've been blessed to know, I've observed a common thread in their God-given nature: a draw toward the home. Whether single or married, younger or older, mother of children or fur babies, employed at the house or office, a woman has a heart for her home. And somewhere between heart and home, her hands swing into action! Just think of all that her hands do in a day in support of her household! From performing housekeeping tasks to nurturing souls to clasping her fingers in prayer, a woman's hands are persistently and painstakingly employed. And, at times, her hands also become the extension of her home, reaching out beyond her own walls to serve others in church and ... Read more