Grace at Home No. 377

Friends, it's the end of April, and I have a feeling that this month will be forever cemented in my brain. It's been a month of loneliness, anxiety, and depression, but it's also been a month of connectedness, peace, and joy.

Who knew that you could experience so many different emotions all jumbled together?

No doubt about it--this month has been hard. Yet by God's grace, we can do hard things, can't we?

I'm grateful to get to host this party where celebrate all the ways we make our homes a reflection of God's grace. Here are some highlights from last week's party.

If you've ever dreamed of finishing a basement space (or if you just want to be inspired for some DIY projects), you should check out this post from Paula at Sweet Pea. Here's just one glimpse of her new space:

And just as a little teaser, here's what they started with:

With so many people working from home these days, desk space can be a challenge. I was tickled to see how Chas from Chas' Crazy Creations made a desk from a file cabinet.

Mother's Day is right around the corner. If you're looking for some DIY gift ideas, you'll be glad to see this post from Raquel at Organized Island.

We're eating all our meals at home these days, and things can get dull, can't they? Why not take a few extra minutes to make your table pretty? Shelley at Calypso in the Country came up with three different napkin rings to make from items you likely have around the house!

Speaking of napkins, I love using cloth napkins, and I think using them is one thing we can all be doing to reduce paper waste. I like a white napkin that can be bleached (so many food stains are stubborn!). I like napkins to be nice and big. And I like a sturdy napkin that can be laundered over and over. I'm not picky, am I? I've finally found napkins that meet all my standards, but they're not advertised as napkins at all--they're Zeppoli kitchen towels.(affiliate link) I love the fact that I can order them from Amazon, and they're very inexpensive. You can use them as kitchen towels, of course, but they shrink a bit when they're washed so that they're awesome as napkins.

Pam from Everyday Living made my mouth water and inspired me to check out our local strawberry farms.

If you're like me, you've been thinking a lot about your ancestors who made it through the Great Depression. I find myself wishing I'd listened more carefully to all their stories! I was glad to see that
Kristy from Mommy Hates Cooking shared a depression-era recipe for Blueberry Bread, which could just as easily be made with strawberries. Doesn't this look yummy?

Finally, if you're experiencing anxiety in these days (and who isn't?), I think you'll be blessed by this post from Dr. Michelle Bengtson listening seven steps for coping with anxiety.

Thanks so much to everyone who joined last week's party!

Now for today's party.  Here at the Grace at Home party, I invite you to link posts about

• DIY projects
• decorating
• recipes
• hospitality
• homemaking tips
• parenting
• marriage
• faith
• self-care
• soul care

Whatever you do to make your home a place of grace, I'd like to hear about it.  Here's what I ask of you.  Please include the permalink to your post, not your blog's home page.  Please let people know that you've linked up.  No more than three posts per person, please.  Note that if you link a post here, you are giving me permission to share your post, including a photo.  And visit at least one of the other party participants--that's what really makes it a party, and during these days of social distancing, it can really make someone's day!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

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Grace at Home No. 376

Welcome, friends! I pray that you are safe and well.

Here we are in what feels like the 47th week of lockdown. In truth, my husband and I have been at home since March 13. I thank God we can both work at home. How are you doing?

These days more than ever, I want our home to be a place of grace. So I'm really glad to host this weekly Grace at Home party. Here are some highlights from last week's party.

If you are confined to quarters these days, you may be looking for some projects to complete around your house.

Carol at Blue Sky at Home gave her master bedroom a fresh look for spring by shopping her house. This is a great idea!

If you have a wood pallet on hand, why not create a planter like Jayne at Chalking Up Success?

Or for an even more practical project, perhaps you'd like to make raised garden beds like these from Kippi of Kippi at Home.

If you're a history buff like me, you'll love reading all about Victory Gardens in this post from Angie Baer at Planted.

We're all cooking at home these days, aren't we? I have some chicken thighs in the freezer, so I was glad to see this recipe for Curry Maple Dijon Chicken Thighs from Melynda at Scratch Made Foods.

There's no doubt that we're living in anxious times, so I was glad to see that Joy at Artful Homemaking compiled a list of 52 Bible verses to help you combat fear.

Thanks so much to everyone who joined last week's party!

Now for today's party.  Here at the Grace at Home party, I invite you to link posts about

• DIY projects
• decorating
• recipes
• hospitality
• homemaking tips
• parenting
• marriage
• faith
• self-care
• soul care

Whatever you do to make your home a place of grace, I'd like to hear about it.  Here's what I ask of you.  Please include the permalink to your post, not your blog's home page.  Please let people know that you've linked up.  No more than three posts per person, please.  Note that if you link a post here, you are giving me permission to share your post, including a photo.  And visit at least one of the other party participants--that's what really makes it a party, and during these days of social distancing, it can really make someone's day!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Grace at Home No. 375

Hello friends! I hope you had a lovely Easter, a day filled with love and hope. Times like these surely call for hope, don't they?

I'm so glad you're here for the Grace at Home party, where we celebrate all the ways we make our homes places of grace. Here are some posts from last week's party I think you'll enjoy.

If you now have time to do some crafts but are limited to using what you have around the house, check out these book page projects from Kristin at White Arrows Home.

Need some inspiration for tackling a big project? Follow along with Paula at Sweet Pea as she and her husband transform the basement of their lake house.

We're all cooking at home these days, aren't we? If you need some ideas for meals made from pantry staples, Kristy from Mommy Hates Cooking has you covered.

And if you're looking for a bunch of good recipes, you'll be grateful that Patti at Pandora's Box has gathered all her recipes into one handy spot. Check them out--you'll be glad you did!

If you're an Instant Pot user, you'll be glad to get some tips for care and cleaning of your Instant Pot from Jennifer at The Everyday Farmhouse.

This time of lockdown can be anxiety-producing. If you're concerned that your child might be suffering from anxiety, be sure to read this post from Dr. Michelle Bengtson at Hope Prevails.

And to buoy your own spirits, read how Debbie from Debbie-Dabble Blog is choosing hope!

Thanks so much to everyone who joined last week's party!

Now for today's party.  Here at the Grace at Home party, I invite you to link posts about

• DIY projects
• decorating
• recipes
• hospitality
• homemaking tips
• parenting
• marriage
• faith
• self-care
• soul care

Whatever you do to make your home a place of grace, I'd like to hear about it.  Here's what I ask of you.  Please include the permalink to your post, not your blog's home page.  Please let people know that you've linked up.  No more than three posts per person, please.  Note that if you link a post here, you are giving me permission to share your post, including a photo.  And visit at least one of the other party participants--that's what really makes it a party, and during these days of social distancing, it can really make someone's day!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Grace at Home No. 374

Hello, friends. Blessings to you this Holy Week.

Easter Sunday will mark one month since we've been on lockdown here. Some of you have been confined to your homes even longer than that. We're living in scary times, aren't we?

And yet there are still signs of hope all around--in the faces of the courageous first responders and health professionals working extra-hard, in the beautiful spring weather, and in the ways you're making your homes places of grace even while you're stuck in them.

Here are some of my favorites from last week's Grace at Home party.

Want to use this time at home creatively? Julie from My Wee Abode showcases lots of wreaths you can make for yourself!

Need to create some Easter treats but can't get out to buy anything? Linda from It All Started with Paint shows us how to create cute Easter bunnies from paper bags!

Looking for ways to decorate for Easter this year? Check out how Shelley from Calypso in the Country re-purposed her Easter decor from last year!

Have you been planning a baby or wedding shower that you cannot host during lockdown? Jennifer from Satsuma Designs shows you how to host a virtual shower!

Need some new ideas of things to do with kids during this ongoing lockdown? Kimberly from LouLou Girls to the rescue with 52 fun ideas!

Struggling with anxiety in these uncertain times? Then you'll appreciate Donna Reidland from Soul Survival's words about anxiety and the size of our God.

Thank you to everyone who joined last week's link-up!

Now for today's party! Here at the Grace at Home party, I invite you to link posts about

• DIY projects
• decorating
• recipes
• hospitality
• homemaking tips
• parenting
• marriage
• faith
• self-care
• soul care

Whatever you do to make your home a place of grace, I'd like to hear about it.  Here's what I ask of you.  Please include the permalink to your post, not your blog's home page.  Please let people know that you've linked up.  No more than three posts per person, please.  Note that if you link a post here, you are giving me permission to share your post, including a photo.  And visit at least one of the other party participants--that's what really makes it a party, and during these days of social distancing, it can really make someone's day!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Grace at Home No. 373

How are you doing, friends? My husband and I have been on lockdown here since March 13--earlier than most people here because he traveled internationally and had to self-quarantine for 14 days. . . and as soon as that lifted, North Carolina entered a stay-at-home period. Honestly, as much as I hate to see what's happening in the economy, it looks to me as if we all need to stay at home right now.

Strange times, right?

Yet so many people are finding creative ways to cope with these times, so I'm glad to host this Grace at Home party, where we celebrate all the ways we make our homes places of grace. Here are a few highlights from last week's party.

Want to freshen up your house for spring? You may well  have to do it with what you have on hand, right? Shelley at Calypso in the Country provides some great inspiration with her spring mantel.

Easter is around the corner.  Need a fun Easter craft using what's in your home? Check out this handkerchief bunnies from Lisa at Fresh Vintage!

If you're one of the many parents who've found themselves thrust into homeschooling, you might need this huge list of free homeschooling resources and websites from Joy at Artful Homemaking.

Need a fun, cheap craft to do with your kids? Check out these ideas using toilet paper rolls from Sarah at Must-Have Mom.

I for one am going to be doing some big-time spring cleaning in the next couple of weeks, so I was glad to get this cleaning checklist from Lisa at Condo Blues.

I'm trying to stay at home 24/7, but I do have to go out occasionally to get groceries, so I was glad to get this DIY face mask pattern from Kristi at French Creek Farmhouse.

We're all dealing with a great deal of uncertainty right now, and the truth is that many of us will soon be dealing with great grief. So I was really grateful to read this post about staying in the now from Leslie at Gwen Moss, who has had to learn the hard way to deal with grief.

Thank you to everyone who joined last week's link-up!

Now for today's party! Here at the Grace at Home party, I invite you to link posts about

• DIY projects
• decorating
• recipes
• hospitality
• homemaking tips
• parenting
• marriage
• faith
• self-care
• soul care

Whatever you do to make your home a place of grace, I'd like to hear about it.  Here's what I ask of you.  Please include the permalink to your post, not your blog's home page.  Please let people know that you've linked up.  No more than three posts per person, please.  Note that if you link a post here, you are giving me permission to share your post, including a photo.  And visit at least one of the other party participants--that's what really makes it a party, and during these days of social distancing, it can really make someone's day!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter