The Ways of Her Home

Embracing the homeward call

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

Winter in Biltmore’s Conservatory

After having all our travel attempts cancelled last spring and summer, the Lord graciously allowed us to take two quick trips during December, and we are so thankful! Now that Christmas and New Year's are passed, I'd like to finish up some posts on our Biltmore trip. So, returning to Biltmore, today, I'm going to take you on a walk through the conservatory. Even in the winter chill, the outdoor garden areas were still inspiring and well worth the walk through, but not as lush and vibrant as they are in the spring, summer, and fall....and definitely not as warm as the conservatory! The double doors, adorned with their fresh, aromatic wreaths, beckoned us to come in out of the cold for ... Read more

An Alabama White Christmas

In Alabama, we rarely have snow, but we do have the white sands of our beautiful beaches! Our family headed to Gulf Shores, Alabama a couple of days after Christmas for a 50th birthday getaway for my husband. We could not have asked for a more gorgeous week to be there! We've always preferred to travel in off-seasons, no matter where we go, when crowds and rates are at their lowest. Even for a winter beach trip, there is plenty to do to make it an enjoyable vacation. We had no agenda, but just went from one leisurely activity to the next. Walking on the beach is a must for any season. My girls and my son did swim in the ocean one day, and had a great time, but my husband, my ... Read more

Happy New Year! 2021!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! It is quite rainy here today, but that does not bother me one bit. I love cozy, rainy days at home, and can't think of a better way to spend this New Year's Day than curled up with a book, some coffee, a Star Wars movie marathon (continued from yesterday), and a steaming bowl of New Year's soup! No frills here today. I can't even call it ringing in the year--maybe more of a soft jingle, ha, which is just what I need this year! I pray you all have a lovely start to this new year. I look forward to having you visit my little spot here this year as we all look well to the ways of our homes in 2021. Thank you so much for stopping by, reading, and commenting! I truly ... Read more

A Happy 50th!

I'd like to wish a Happy 50th Birthday to the man who loves, leads, protects, teaches, entertains, and provides for our family--my wonderful husband! Joel is rock solid, tends to our needs, offers wise counsel, lives by the Word, leads us in Bible study, washes copious amounts of pots and pans, is a work horse in the yard, and brings stability during our most fragile moments (and with 3 women and a 9-yr old boy in the house, emotions can certainly run high at times!) We celebrated early with a trip to the beach with the kids and Joel's sweet mama, the woman who delivered her big New Year’s Eve baby 50 years ago today! For some fun entertainment on our trip, my mother-in-law brought Joel's ... Read more

Easy Crudité and Charcuterie Boards for New Year’s Snacking

Anyone else getting tired of eating? I think one of the best and worst things about the holidays is the food! We love it, until it's too much. After Christmas we're ready for some healthier eats, but there's still New Year's to go. Crudité and Charcuterie boards are a healthier option that still looks and feels all fancy-schmancy for New Year’s! A Crudités Board is typically veggies and dips only. I’ve been adding just a little fruit and nuts to ours lately, but the emphasis is still very much on the veggies.Veggies can include just about any you like and are usually served raw, but for the firmer veggies such as green beans, asparagus, carrots, snap peas, etc., I blanch them in ... Read more

Family Nativity Dinner

For about the last ten years, our family has kept an annual tradition of a Nativity Dinner in December. Some years it's just us, some years we invite friends, and some years we use the menu for our small group Christmas party. Since we were home for Christmas Eve this year, we planned our Nativity Dinner for that night, with just us, and it was so special! I arranged my tablescape earlier in the month to stay set up through all of the holidays, New Year's included. My table arrangement is similar to last year's New Year's table, but with a few tweaks. And I kept with the same Christmas Biltmore inspiration I used in the den. This was such a fun and colorful table to put together, ... Read more