Let's bring back old-fashioned blogging! It may have changed a lot in the past decade, but blogging isn't dead. It's just time to revive it a little. Old-school, unpretentious blogs are the answer.It's tradition. I always do a yearly wrap up/look ahead in January, where I list my top blog posts, discuss upcoming ideas, and reflect on the state of blogging (in my own corner and in the larger bogging world). That's what you'll find today. But since I have more I want to say about the state of blogging this time around, I decided to include this in my "Lost Arts" series.The practice of keeping a blog won't apply to everyone, but if ... Continue Reading
7 Kitchen Resolutions for the New Year
Set kitchen resolutions for the year ahead to help you be intentional in this area of your home! These are my kitchen resolutions for 2019 (and beyond). It's my hope that these goals will become habits in the kitchen that are simply second nature to me.It's a lovely practice to make general resolutions for the year ahead, but I've also found it helpful to make niched-down resolutions in various areas of my life. For instance, I make yearly blogging goals. When we moved into our current home, I made a list of ongoing house resolutions.Why not grab a pen and paper (or your list journal) and make resolutions for different focus areas of ... Continue Reading
Recovering the Lost Art of Analog Living
Do you miss the analog days of the past? This isn't just about nostalgia, though. Analog living has value for anyone who craves a simple, slower, more old-fashioned pace of life. Here's how you can ditch the digital and practice the lost art of an analog lifestyle. How to Live an Analog Life Ah...the internet.There's so much to say on this topic, and I've been thinking of writing this post for a while now. You see, I've been a heavy internet user since my college days, and in the last decade+ I've experienced many of the benefits and frustrations that internet brings.As an adult, I've never lived without the internet. But the bulk ... Continue Reading
My Minimalist Birth Plan
Giving birth doesn't have to be complicated. This simple natural birth plan will help you achieve the labor and delivery you want! Read on for how to write a minimalist birth plan that your care providers will actually read and remember!I've found in life that you're more likely to get what you want if you keep things simple. If the variables--and your expectations--are simple to begin with, it's easier to be satisfied (and pleasantly surprised).Case in point: I wanted another natural birth with baby #2, and I was very happy with how it all turned out! That outcome wasn't a given, though, since I was birthing in a hospital where just ... Continue Reading
Baby Roo’s Birth Story
This is the story of my second son's birth. He was born in the hospital and I had him "naturally"; without an epidural or painkillers! Here's how it went.It's always hard to wait for what you very badly want, but it's even harder to wait for it when you're uncomfortable. As my pregnancy wore on with the Alabama summer, I became increasingly ready. More like increasingly impatient. I was dying to meet my baby boy, and dying to get some physical and emotional relief from being constantly on the verge.Many months earlier, I'd taken a pregnancy test at the earliest viable day. We entered the holiday season with good news to share, and as ... Continue Reading
Easy Caffeine-Free Cinnamon Vanilla Tea Recipe
Enjoy a cozy cinnamon-vanilla rooibos tea with this recipe! It's completely caffeine free, so you can drink it any time of day--and your kids can, too. Note from Elsie: My friend Anjanette is guest posting today, while I enjoy my new baby boy and a self-assigned maternity leave! Enjoy a cup of this cozy tea while you read a good book this fall(: For book ideas to pair with it, check out one of the "quick classics" Anjanette recommended over on my literary blog. Guest post by Anjanette BarrA hot cup of tea is so comforting! I even enjoy warm tea in the summer when I'm just waking up and anything cold would be shocking, or when I'm ready ... Continue Reading
My 15 Go-To Skincare and Makeup Products
I've been searching for the perfect makeup and skincare products for years! Now I'm finally starting to find what works for me and what items will be keepers...maybe for the rest of my life. Here's what's in my simple makeup bag.Those of you who have followed my blog for awhile know that I like to do a different type of post for my birthday! My annual tradition is to publish a list-style post, something more personal. Last year I shared 29 habits, recipes, and things that simplify my life. In the years before I've done:I’m Not Jo March (and Other Shocking Things I Learned Before My 28th Birthday) My 27 Favourite Heroes, Heroines, ... Continue Reading
Recovering the Lost Art of Taking a Bath
Taking a bath is a simple luxury and a lost art. But it's such an easy and fun way to relax! Here's why you should make time for baths, plus 15 things to make your bathing experience a soothing at-home spa.I've often said to myself that if I was rich, I'd indulge in very long, hot showers. It would be a luxury to ignore the water and heating bills and just enjoy the massage of hot rain while I let my thoughts drift on and on.But when I think about it, life has plenty of luxuries to offer...regardless of one's bank account. For instance, I am blessed to live in a house that has a bathtub. Fancy it is not, but I can add a few details to ... Continue Reading
10 Go-To Dishes Every Homemaker Should Have in Her Repertoire
Simplify your time in the kitchen by collecting a repertoire of no-fail, go-to dishes. You'll pull these recipes out MANY times in your homemaking career for hosting, hospitality, or just busy seasons of life.Today I'm going to share a little homemaking secret I've discovered that will make your life so much easier--whether in your daily routine, when hosting company, or in your outside social activities. Yes, in all that!As I explored in my previous blog post, I believe every homemaker should recover the lost art of cooking from scratch. Cooking doesn't have to be your passion (although great if it is!), but it should be a basic ... Continue Reading
Recovering the Lost Art of Cooking from Scratch (the non-trendy way)
With takeout options galore and grocery store convenience food, it seems that our culture is fast losing the art of cooking from scratch. Here's how (and why) homemakers can recover the old-fashioned practice of home cooking.Among the other lost arts we'd do well as a culture to keep alive, perhaps one of the most practical is the lost art of cooking from scratch.For me, cooking from scratch conjures up homey feelings of tying on an apron in a sunny kitchen, starting the music, and burying myself in the rhythm of measuring and mixing.But that picture might seem too domestic for some--or simply not enjoyable. And what I'd really ... Continue Reading
