Good Things in This Country: Seven Suggestions for Simple Hospitality
Good Things in This Country Seven Suggestions for Simple Hospitality Mrs. Sarah Reardon In the early weeks and months of my marriage, I was determined to practice the very finest hospitality. My grand vision of hosting as a newly married woman knew few bounds. Never mind that I was teaching full-time and my husband was […]
Seven Suggestions for Making the Most of Apple Season (Even If You Aren’t Feeling Very Crunchy)
Seven Suggestions for Making the Most of Apple Season (Even If You Aren’t Feeling Very Crunchy) Dr. Dixie Dillon Lane Question: What is there that is even crunchier than all the weedlessly-homesteading, perfect-child-rearing, organic-handspun-alpaca-wool-wearing influencers on social media? Answer: A freshly-picked apple. You know, sometimes when mere mortals such as yours truly read on the […]
How and Why To Take a Cookie Ramble
How and Why To Take a Cookie Ramble Dr. Dixie Dillon Lane It is well known that going outside has many benefits. The fresh air, the invitation to physical activity, and the opportunity to rest the eyes on the beauty of our natural world are just a few that come to mind. Another is the […]
Seven Suggestions for the Beginning Quilter
(and Anyone Else Feeling Stressed)
Seven Suggestions for the Beginning Quilter (and Anyone Else Feeling Stressed) Dr. Dixie Dillon Lane It’s astonishing how busy a “slow” life can become. In a thick context of children, chickens, charity, and chores, of diligent wage-work and mountains of laundry, the reality is that our best intentions are not always enough to keep our […]
Paper Bag to Paper Basket in Nine Easy(ish) Steps
Paper Bag to Paper Basket In Nine Easy(ish) Steps Let us assume for the moment that A) you have children age nine-ish or older who are currently not at school (due to weekend, Easter break, government intrusion, or whatever), B) you’d appreciate something cute and fun, or at least time consuming, for them to do, […]
Homemade Laundry Detergent
Cleanliness is next to godliness. But many commercial laundry soaps contain numerous chemicals found to be dangerous to humans and the environment. Dangerous chemicals, to the best of our knowledge, are not close to godliness. Thankfully, we have a homemade laundry soap that you’re going to love. It uses gentle, naturally-occurring ingredients, which won’t pollute […]
Stringing Up a Homemade Christmas
Part II: Popcorn & Cranberry Garland
Stringing Up a Homemade Christmas Part II: Cranberry and Popcorn Garland Mrs. April Jaure My favorite homemade decoration this year was cranberry garland. The rich, deep, garnet red of the cranberries was stunning, and I loved their natural color variation. A bead garland from the store would likely have beads uniform in color and size, […]
Stringing Up a Homemade Christmas
Part 1: Orange and Apple Ornaments
Stringing Up a Homemade Christmas Part 1: Orange and Apple Ornaments Mrs. April Jaure One afternoon, as I was washing a sink full of breakfast and lunch dishes in the sunny corner of my kitchen, I noticed how the light made the soapy bubbles sparkle just so against the nutmeg-colored spoons. The simple beauty of […]