The Homemaking Party: Our Valentine Celebration and Homeschool Biography Share

Welcome to The Homemaking Party! 

Our family had such a sweet celebration last night. We started by exchanging Valentines and ended with the six oldest reading the biography essays they'd been working on for a month!

Brenna was the first to pass out her Valentine cards. She had one envelope in front of her at the table. When Daddy called on her to hand it out, she started hysterically cracking up and said, "I made one for myself!" Ha!!! We all got a really good laugh and enjoyed watching her open her present to herself!

Cainan made each of us a neat pop-up card.

The kids all pitched in and made this sweet gift basket for me. I love it! They made the rosebud stems with Hershey's Kisses.

The kids made this gift basket for Jamie. So special!

The three older boys surprised Lynzie with a bouquet of Kisses roses stuck in a Parmesan cheese can. Sweet brothers!

My oldest son, Michael, bought me this festive mug and chocolate rose.

Daughter Selah made me this special craft. If you look closely, you can see a little face made with beads inside the bow.

Jamie bought me this pretty box of chocolates.Whitman's are my favorite!

After all the kids handed out their Valentines, Daddy had a special treat for them too! Each year, he picks out something for each of them. This year they each got their own pretty box of chocolates. 

My mom sent special cards, too. This was mine. I used to collect frogs in high school so she sent me a cute frog button.

After we exchanged gifts, the six oldest kids read their biographical essays that they'd been working on for the last few weeks. They all did really well! Michael talked about Amelia Earhart, Avalon---L. Frank Baum, Cainan---Harry Houdini, Lynzie---Albert Einstein, Selah---Steve Jobs, and Elisha talked about Mohammed Ali.

We run our school year differently from most. We usually start mid-January and school until mid-October, so the kids are just getting started. I'm planning to have a presentation night once a week where the kids can read essays or book reports or present other projects they've completed. Looking forward to a great year ahead!

This article was featured in Issue #131 of The Christian Home Magazine.

Cranberry Tea Bread, an Updated Reading Room, and a Special Tea from Bath

“I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! -- When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.” 

― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

Even though that quote came from P&P's Miss Bingley, a snobbish woman who was likely quite unfamiliar with what constitutes an "excellent library", there's no reason the rest of us can't take the sentiment to heart. While I've got to wait for a few kids to move out before I can set up a full blown library, I can still build my collection of rare and antique books, along with many modern favorites, and create comfortable reading spots around my home.

After writing my thoughts on homemaking as an act of worship early Friday morning, I got up and started working on decluttering my upstairs reading area and setting up this little square coffee table I recently found at Salvation Army. Jamie's recliner sits opposite to this pink chair and there is a fireplace to the left of this photo. I've been wanting to make it a more comfortable reading spot since we moved in early last summer.

I made a very simple cranberry tea bread for the kids' breakfast yesterday morning and saved out a little piece for me. I'll post the recipe below. It's a basic muffin recipe to which one can add any number of spices or mix-ins. I use it often at breakfast time; but rather than filling muffin cups, I just pour the mixture into a 13x9 pan. It's one of those big family shortcuts I use to save time in the mornings.

I also enjoyed a cup of Gillards' Empress of Peking tea. This is a special blend created in Bath, England and only available at Gillards of Bath, a tea shop founded in 1886. I first enjoyed it at the Jane Austen Centre Tea Room on my first visit there in 2013. The following Christmas, Jamie ordered a bag of it for me and it's been a favorite ever since.

I set out these adorable felt coasters that a friend sent me a couple years ago. One thing I've learned about living in the hot and humid South---coasters are a necessity! 

I'm hoping to enjoy some quiet reading time this evening after I've put the younger kids to bed. No sense in having a pretty spot to hang out if one doesn't actually spend time there, right?

Hope you're having a relaxing and blessed weekend!

Cranberry Tea Bread

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 c. water or milk

1/2 c. oil

3 1/2 c. flour

2/3 c. sugar

4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 c. dried cranberries

Whisk the eggs, water, and oil together. Add the dry ingredients, except for the cranberries, and stir until almost smooth. Add the cranberries and finish stirring until everything is incorporated. Spread mixture into a greased 13x9 pan and bake for 30 minutes at 400º.

This article was featured in Issue #130 of The Christian Home Magazine.

linking with:

Open House @ Bernideen's Tea Time Blog 

Vintage Charm

Pintastic Party

Friendship Friday

No Rules Party

Creativity Unleashed

Managing My Home as a Form of Worship to God

It's 4:00 am and I'm up browsing some of my favorite blogs. I just came across this quote from a favorite blogger on another favorite blogger's site:

"I work for a King. He has put me in charge of his home. When He comes to see how I have managed His possessions and His children, I do not want to be found wanting. I want to do my best. Everything I have is on loan from Him. I have room and board and a job to do, but it is all for Him. Therefore I want to dress my best and do my best in all my work. I also want to be creative, for this is a sincere attempt to glorify Him and His beautiful creation. How I manage my home is a form of worship to Him." ~Lydia Sherman

In my heart, I believe this is my deepest desire. But let me be honest with you ladies, my home and life don't always display this. Currently, my house is extremely overly cluttered. I've put away the Christmas decorations but the spring things are still sitting in totes waiting to be unboxed and arranged. I've got piles of new-to-me books and clean laundry that need to be put away. Don't even get me started on how badly my refrigerator needs a good cleaning and were you to actually visit my home today, you would laugh and laugh about all the things I've left off of this list in an attempt to spare my pride!

Of course, my home isn't always out of control. It's just a season I'm in---a rut that needs some climbing out of. Two main things have contributed to this literal mess I'm in: being too busy about other people's business and refusing to align my priorities.

As you may imagine, these two go hand in hand. When I align my priorities, I won't make a place for that wrongly-placed busyness. What do I mean by being busy about others' business? Here are some examples:

• As a homeschooling mom, I'm often pulled toward opportunities to socialize my kids that might be great for allowing them some friend time, but often cause our family to get chaotically off schedule. 
• Oftentimes, mothers with young children are seen by church ministry leaders as the perfect candidates for leading children's ministries. After all, they must love working with children or they wouldn't have any of their own, right? What they seem to miss however is that these women are actually the most burnt out and overwhelmed when it comes to managing other people's children. I've learned to steer clear of these ministries during this season of life.
• There are many opportunities to volunteer for very worthy causes, and I do try to allow my teens to represent our family in service to others as much as possible. But the truth is, if my own home is in disarray because I'm too busy helping others establish theirs, I am doing a disservice to those God has entrusted to my care. 

These truths are hard to digest because, as Christians, we know we are called to serve. The problems arise when we get mixed up about who we are called to serve and when. 1 Timothy 3 talks about the requirements for deacons, saying things like, "for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?" (1 Tim. 3:5) How much more of a truth is this for a woman who has been clearly called to home and family as her first priority? (Titus 2:4-5)

A quote from my own book explains it well:

"Be honest with yourself: are you really as indispensable as you make yourself out to be? There are certain roles we were tailor-made to fill, others that just need to be filled by someone willing, and still others that could probably be abolished and the ministry would be better for it. Sometimes we spend way too much time trying to figure out if we're in the right ministry and wondering if we should take on that one. more. thing. Anyone with ears let her hear: just because it's good to do, doesn't mean it's good for you to do." --From Now: Purposeful Steps Toward a More Abundant Life by Sarah Coller

How I manage my home is a form of worship to Him and my true heart toward home and family is evidenced by how easily distracted I am from caring for them in a proper way. While I should always be willing to follow God's leading and serve sacrificially however he leads, I need to carefully and prayerfully consider all distractions that take me away from my first priority: home.

This article was featured in Issue #131 of The Christian Home Magazine.

The Christian Home Magazine Issue #129

Hello Readers!

I'm so excited to announce The Christian Home Magazine is back in print! Several years ago, The Christian Home Magazine was hosted by Mrs. White from The Legacy of Home. It featured encouraging articles by homemakers, for homemakers. With Mrs. White's blessing, we've revived it here at Classical Homemaking and I think you're really going to be blessed!

Each Friday, you'll be treated to several encouraging articles from Christian homemakers and young women at home. As you visit the blog of each contributor, please be sure to comment as well as pin and save articles from their sites, rather than this main magazine page. That way, you'll have easier access to the articles you want to reference in the future and those writers will have the blessing of repeat traffic from your pins.

Let us know how you like the new magazine!

Blessings,
The Christian Home Magazine Team

Hospitality

Do you have a desire to be more hospitable but insecurities are holding you back? Hospitality writer, Sarah Coller, has felt that way too. Read Some Thoughts on Hospitality for a little encouragement.


Stewardship and Finances

Stewardship and Finances writer, Laura Lane, shares her ideas for reusing jars. I'm super inspired to save my own jars now! Check out, Saving Money with Jars... Reduce... Reuse... Recycle... at Harvest Lane Cottage.


Young Ladies at Home

Young Ladies at Home Columnist, Lynzie Coller, shares her thoughts on a favorite Bible verse. Visit Thoughts From a Young Writer to read some encouraging notes on Joshua 1:9.

Entertainment

I'm always looking for a great historical fiction and it looks like Entertainment contributor, Laura from Harvest Lane Cottage, has found one! Be sure to read her review of Jocelyn Green's The Mark of the King.

Homekeeping

Homekeeping blogger, Sarah Coller of Classical Homemaking, shares how she gave a special family heirloom a much needed update in DIY Vintage Heirloom Stool Makeover.

Would you like to be featured on The Christian Home Magazine? We are looking for writers! Send your submissions for our consideration to sarah@classicalhomemaking.com.

We're linking with:

Pintastic Party

Friendship Friday

No Rules Party

Creativity Unleashed

The Homemaking Party

Welcome to The Homemaking Party! Have you been having a nice week? I've been relaxing as much as I can but we've been struggling with sickness all week and would have much rather been doing something fun! We did go to the park for a little while on Tuesday---but I think it back-fired as I spent yesterday in bed! Now I'm well and my poor husband is the one in the sick bed today. At least we know it's a fast-moving bug! Ha!

Here's a letter I prepared for a pen pal last week. It's been so nice to just be in my home and do homey-ish things! I love writing letters by hand and sealed up with love. Anyone need a new pen pal? Message me---I'd love to correspond with you!

Want to read my new book? Here's your chance! My friend Laura from Harvest Lane Cottage is giving away a free copy of my study devotional, Now: Purposeful Steps Toward a More Abundant Life. Be sure to check out her blog and enter to win!

I'm also requesting prayers from my praying friends. I'm preparing to jump in to writing up my next study devotional and I'd really like some direction. I have so much information I'd like to share on the subject---but I want to keep it short and sweet like the first one is. Please pray that God would lead me to speak his words and share the messages that are important to him. I can get awfully long-winded. Ha!

Hope you're having a beautiful week!

Celebrating a Special Birthday with Friends -- Lynzie is 17!

Welcome to the Homemaking Party! It's been a happy week with one big event---Lynzie turned 17! We had a couple fun celebrations for her---kicking it off with this sweet party, hosted by one of her dearest friends. Lynzie (in blue) and Lucia (in purple) were the guests of honor, turning 20 and 17 in 2017!

Our friends really made the party special with lots of sweet tea treats...

...and napkins in these gorgeous flower and peacock designs. Lynzie loves peacocks!

More sweet treats for the girls to enjoy....

...and tea and petit fours to top it off!

The girls gave one another gifts and then did makeovers and photos. It was a fabulous day Lynzie won't soon forget!

Thanks for stopping by The Homemaking Party! Hope you're having a beautiful week!

Before you go... Have you seen the new Christian Home Magazine? Our first issue released on Friday. Check it out and let us know what you think!

The Christian Home Magazine Issue #128

Hello Readers!

I'm so excited to announce The Christian Home Magazine is back in print! Several years ago, The Christian Home Magazine was hosted by Mrs. White from The Legacy of Home. It featured encouraging articles by homemakers, for homemakers. With Mrs. White's blessing, we've revived it here at Classical Homemaking and I think you're really going to be blessed!

Each Friday, you'll be treated to several encouraging articles from Christian homemakers and young women at home. As you visit the blog of each contributor, please be sure to comment as well as pin and save articles from their sites, rather than this main magazine page. That way, you'll have easier access to the articles you want to reference in the future and those writers will have the blessing of repeat traffic from your pins.

Let us know how you like the new magazine!

Blessings,
The Christian Home Magazine Team

Stewardship and Finances

Stewardship and Finances writer, Laura Lane, is sharing some excellent ideas for partnering with God for financial peace. Check out, What Do You Have In Your Hand? at Harvest Lane Cottage.

Young Ladies at Home

Young Ladies at Home contributor, Lynzie Coller, shares her heart and future plans in Why I Choose to Be a Stay At Home Daughter and Wife.

Homesteading and Healthy Living

Our homesteading and healthy living contributor, Heather from Marine Corps Nomads, shares an excellent recipe for Gluten Free Fried Chicken Drumsticks this week.

Pretty Thrifty Fashion

Pretty Thrifty Fashion blogger, Emily from Teen For the Lord, introduces herself and shares her vision in Pretty Thrifty: An Introduction.

Entertainment

Entertainment contributor, Laura from Harvest Lane Cottage, reviews an encouraging devotional study for women in Now: Purposeful Steps Toward a More Abundant Life by Mrs. Sarah Coller.

Homekeeping

Homekeeping blogger, Sarah Coller of Classical Homemaking, shares her thoughts about Writing an Heirloom Cookbook.

Would you like to be featured on The Christian Home Magazine? Send your submissions for our consideration to sarah@classicalhomemaking.com.

We are linking up with:

The Fabulous Party

Writing an Heirloom Cookbook

Welcome to the Homemaking Party! Today I'm reviving an article I wrote for Raising Homemakers last year about writing an heirloom cookbook.

Do you have a book wish list? I do and one book at the very top of it is the modern version of Martha Lloyd's cookbook. Martha Lloyd was the close friend of Jane Austen's family who lived with the author, her sister, and her widowed mother before eventually marrying Jane's brother, Frank. She kept a handwritten book of recipes that has recently been published for Austen fans to enjoy. When I was in England in September, I spent a day in the village of Chawton where Lloyd and the Austens lived in a not-so-little cottage owned by Jane's wealthy older brother. It was my second time visiting the cottage, but this time I noticed something on display that I hadn't before: Martha Lloyd's cookbook.

In my opinion, there are few things more special a homemaker can leave for future generations than recipes written in her own hand. I've mentioned several times on my blog that my family gave me a box of my great grandmother's recipes and cookbooks when she passed away. There were things in that box that even came from my great-great grandmother. They're very special gifts to me--a legacy that she left without knowing who would benefit.

In our techy, 21st century world, it's so easy to type up our recipes, add a staged, beautifully edited photo, and pin it to Pinterest for the whole world to see. As a homemaking blogger, I've shared countless recipes this way. However, I want to leave my family more than a link to a Pinterest board, so I've begun writing an heirloom cookbook. It's very simple---but so was Martha Lloyd's and so were my great grandma's. In both cases, these women used a simple bound book and filled in the pages with things that came to mind. Martha's contains recipes at the beginning and household tips toward the end. My grandma's books are not organized by recipe type and even feature the same recipes more than once throughout.

My heirloom cookbook is simple on purpose. I tend to be a perfectionist but with my big family and busy life, I've found that perfectionism leads to procrastination. Therefore, rather than waiting for a trip to Hobby Lobby where I can spend $40 buying supplies to make a fancy, color-coordinated notebook with paper flags and ribbon bookmarks, I chose a notebook from my kids' school supply shelf. In fact, I just grabbed one right from the top of the pile. I might snazz it up later on with pretties (that's what my other great grandma would call them) but for now, I'm going simple. Simple means I'll actually get the job done while I'm still here to do it. Whenever I have some time while waiting for something to bake or boil, I jot down a recipe. Sometimes they're family favorites that are requested over and over---other times they're simple lists of instructions I've memorized for making basic things. The point is that these recipes now exist somewhere besides my memory---somewhere my children and grandchildren can access.

Writing a simple heirloom cookbook is a beautiful way to preserve your personality, thoughts, quirks, and handwriting for generations to come. I even include notes like, Jamie (my husband) loves this or I made this for Selah's 7th birthday dinner. It's exciting to know I've joined with generations of homemakers before me in preserving special family memories.

Visiting The Old Mill at Little Rock

Thanks for stopping by The Homemaking Party! Today I'm sharing about our trip to our state capitol, Little Rock. Our family had never been there before but Brenna had an appointment at the Children's Hospital so Jamie took a day off and the three of us went on an adventure! Thankfully, we received all good news and Brenna's heart is fine. (In an ironic twist that we won't make much of), Daddy treated her to her first Happy Meal!

I was looking forward to seeing our capitol building but since we'd left the kids home with Lynzie to babysit, we didn't want to get home too late. It was the capitol or The Old Mill. Since The Old Mill is one of my bucket list things, I opted for the mill!

Now I'm going to stall with a few pictures that are not the mill. Ha!! I'll get to that in a minute. The mill is situated in a pretty park in North Little Rock. It features many neat stone carvings that are made to look like wood, done by the faux bois (fake wood) sculptor, Dionicio Rodriguez, in the 1930s. We thought this bridge looked pretty neat and since a couple was getting engagement photos taken by the mill, we decided to start here.

Daddy and Brenna enter the bridge.

They're at the top! The carved stones throughout the park were worn very smooth and there were still some icy spots here and there so this park was not for the faint of heart!

"Dedicated August 6, 1933, as Pugh's Memorial Park, the Old Mill is a replica of an abandoned water-powered grist mill that would have been used by Arkansas pioneers in the 1800s. Although the Old Mill never actually operated as a mill, the iron grist mill on the first floor of the building is authentic and dates to 1828. It served the Cale family of Pope County for three generations. Developer Justin Matthews intended for the Old Mill to appear as the ruins of a bygone era supplanted by modern methods. 'Now completely forgotten by the hurrying world around it, the Old Mill quietly weathers the years in the depths of its secluded valley.' Matthews said of his vision. A memorial to his friend and business partner, Thomas R. Pugh of Portland, Arkansas, the Old Mill with its wheel turning symbolizes Pugh's tireless energy. Millstones on the second floor of the building came from the Ashley County plantation of Tom Knoble. Pugh's grandfather, Frank Carmean of the Matthews Company designed the park and Bob Massey supervised the project. Matthews commissioned Dionicio Rodriguez, a noted Mexican sculptor, whose faux bois (or fake wood) style was perfected in the details of this remarkable work of art. The Old Mill appeared in the opening credits of the 1939 movie, Gone With the Wind."

Brenna and I inside the mill house

1828 iron grist mill

millstone

Here it is! The Old Mill from Gone With the Wind. I like what the sign said, "Developer Justin Matthews intended for the Old Mill to appear as the ruins of a bygone era supplanted by modern methods." That's exactly the symbolism and message of the movie, isn't it?

This was such a great experience. I'm so glad we stopped!

After we hung out at the mill a little while, we made our way back around the park toward the car. Brenna found a pretty leaf and then discovered the tree it fell from. It was a great day of memories with her. I hope she'll remember our fun day out!

Thanks for stopping by The Homemaking Party! Have a beautiful week!

Looking Forward to a Year of Peace and Quiet!

{Hello from Miss Brenna Evangeline who turned four last month!}

Welcome to The Homemaking Party! Whew! I don't know about you but this. year. This year. I don't really know what to say about 2016. It was a really tough one for us. Not relationally---praise God for that!! Just financially, emotionally---2016 just took it's toll on our family and I was not sad to kiss it goodbye!!

But 2017!!!! Oh yes! I have such hope for this coming year. One thing--the biggest most wonderful thing I'm going to do this year is a whole lot of nothing. Ha!! Well---nothing that I don't want to do. Do you ever just need one of those no-obligation years? I need one now. I'm gonna take it. {Watch this space to see how long this resolution holds out...hahaha!}

One beautiful thing about my husband is that he knows me well. Without even meaning to sometimes, he just does things that especially bless me and are meaningful in huge ways. This year's Christmas presents are a great example. He just chose things he knew I'd love and in so doing, he ended up getting something to represent each thing I'm going to make a priority this year. Totally didn't mean to---he's just awesome like that.

First was this new Kitchen Aid mixer. He won it in a drawing at work---can you believe it? Apparently, there's a drawing for one every Christmas season. So awesome! He'd bought me a red one back in 2005 or so but with constant use for a family of 11, that old girl is really showing her age. To me, this new mixer represents a renewed desire to provide wholesome nourishment for my family---and not just with food.

Secondly, he ordered this set of letter writing materials from Lost Art Revived. It's the Jane Austen Letter Writing Society Kit. How awesome is that? That's a second priority for this year---to keep in better contact with my pen friends and even establish some new pen pal relationships!

Third was this calendar. Jamie has bought me a new calendar every year since our first Christmas together. It's just a tradition that he started and I love it! He always picks one with beautiful artwork. What I love about the scenes in this one is that they're all peaceful and idyllic representations of American family life. One of my goals this year is to keep this calendar as empty as possible!

Next are these sweet Pioneer Woman bowls. They are one of the many things that I collect and display in my home to make it peaceful and inviting. These represent my desire to strive to create a comfortable place for family and friends to rest.

Finally, this beautiful Victorian-themed bookmark. One of the main things I want to fill my time with this year is reading lots of wonderful literature. I'm even hosting a Victorian Reading Challenge on my literature blog, Belle's Library.

In reality, I have no idea how this year will look! It could be a year of wildness and craziness bigger than I've ever seen! I suppose my resolution isn't so much to force a year of nothingness---but to be careful to leave my schedule and emotions free to handle the things that come my way unexpectedly.

Thanks so much for stopping by The Homemaking Party! I can't wait to see what you've got to share!