Imparting Grace: August 2020

Thursday, August 27

Grace at Home No. 393

Hello friends! It's the end of August—can you believe it?

I think most of us are ready for 2020 to hurry up and be over—January and February seem so long ago, don't they? And yet when I think about the fact that Christmas is just four months away, I feel a little bit panicky. Do you know what I mean?

Anyway, I'm delighted to see that so many of you are doing wonderful things as you work to make your homes places of grace. Here are some highlights from last week's Grace at Home party.

Looking forward to decorating for Autumn but not quite ready to pull out all the Fall decor? Coco from The Crowned Goat gives you lots of ideas for easing into fall.

Struggling to stay organized now that school is back in session? Serena from Thrift Diving shows you how to make a huge white board--I can just imagine how useful this would be!

Wish you had a bag for carrying essentials when you're out and about (and one that you didn't have to set in a cart)? Helen from Hello Sewing provides a complete tutorial for making your own!

And in a separate post, she gives full instructions for making a carrying pouch for your face mask. Good idea, right?

If you're interested in reading book reviews, I heartily recommend Michele Morin's blog Living Our Days. Recently she reviewed Soul Care in African American Practice, and her review is insightful and wise, sure to make you think.

Thank you 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 difficult times, it can really make someone's day!

Thursday, August 20

Grace at Home No. 392

Hello, friends, and welcome to the Grace at Home party, where we celebrate all the ways we make our homes places of grace.

Here are some links from last week's party I think you'll enjoy.

Fall is just around the corner! I love decorating for Fall, but I'm not ready for my heavy Autumn decor yet. So I was glad to see this post from Carol at Blue Sky at Home about decorating for early fall. Just right for transitioning to a new season!

Need to get organized as you face the back-to-school season? Coco from The Crowned Goat shows you how she organizes her kitchen desk (and makes it look pretty as well!).

Trying to keep your house cleaner than ever? I know I am, so I was so happy to get instructions for making reusable mop pads for the Swiffer from Helen at Hello Sewing.

Right now is a time of great transition for many of us, with uncertain job situations at the top of the list of stressors for many people. If you're nearing the end of your working life and wondering whether early retirement might be a possibility, you'll appreciate this post from Debbie at Debbie-Dabble.

No doubt about it--these times we're living in are hard. If you need some encouragement for hard times, you'll be glad to read this post from Donna Reidland at Soul Survival.

Thank you 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

Thursday, August 13

Grace at Home No. 391

Hello, friends! Greetings this hot day in the middle of August!

As I've watched events during this pandemic, my heart has been touched by the situations of so many people—those with compromised immune systems, the elderly, those without health insurance, those who live in crowded cities, those in precarious financial positions. . . the list goes on. But right now I'm particularly mindful of those with school-age children. What a difficult position parents are in right now! May God help us all to be patient and kind to one another as each person figures out the best way forward.

Meanwhile, I've been encouraged to see how many of you are working to make your homes welcoming and full of grace. So I'm grateful to host the Grace at Home party to celebrate those achievements. Here are some highlights from last week's party.

If you need some tips for keeping your kids organized for going back to school or staying at home for school, Chas from Chas' Crazy Creations has you covered.

School lunches can be hard to manage whether your kids go to school or stay home, but Satsuma Designs offers some help, including a printable lunch planner.

Whatever your decision for sending kids to school, you may want to celebrate back-to-school (or NOT back-to-school) time. Jennifer Lambert from A Sacred Balance shares lots of ideas.

Have you felt like the walls of your home are closing in on you? Check out this post from Jolena at While I Linger about adding to your living space—I think you'll be inspired!

Looking for some new wall art? Jayne from Chalking Up Success shares some inspiration for botanical prints I think you'll enjoy.

Love to have flowers in the house? I sure do! Pam from Everyday Living is a flower master, and she's sharing some advice I'm going to remember for next year: plant zinnias!

Need some nourishment for your soul? Check out this post from Pam at A New Lens.

Thank you 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

Thursday, August 6

Grace at Home No. 390

Welcome, friends! I am so glad you're here for this week's Grace at Home party, where we celebrate all the ways we make our homes places of grace.

I thought about all the moms this week, as I had the opportunity to visit my oldest son and his wife. They've just been transferred to Whidbey Island Naval Air Station in Washington State, and my son (a Navy pilot) will be deployed this fall. So I armed myself with masks and gloves and hand sanitizer and flew to Washington to visit them. If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen this photo:

That's me with my son at Deception Pass, just a few miles from his new home. And you really should take a quick look at my Instagram to see a video I posted there—I got a video of my son's landing a huge jet (a P-8 Poseidon), which was just amazing to watch!

I know that if you're a mom with little kids, the days can seem impossibly long, especially during this season of quarantine. But the years really are short, believe me!

Now I am delighted to share some of the highlights of last week's Grace at Home party.

These days find a lot of us stuck at home. Ever wonder if perhaps you should be a full-time homemaker? Jennifer from The Everyday Farmhouse shares how she fell in love with being a homemaker.

Many of us are making needed home repairs during these days of being mostly at home. If you have a cabinet in need of some TLC, check out this tutorial (and follow along with her bathroom renovation) from Julie at My Wee Abode.

Looking for a way to craft your own accessories with beautiful fringe? Jennifer from The Everyday Farmhouse shows you step by step how to make this macrame fringe.

Do you find yourself misplacing your cloth face mask when you need to keep it close at hand? Lisa from Condo Blues to the rescue! Read how to create a lanyard for your mask so that it's always there when you need it.

Need a new recipe for using the bounty of a summer garden? Lois from Walking on Sunshine Recipes shares her grandmother's cucumber salad recipe. I want to try this!

Do you find yourself in need of some encouragement as you consider all the health-related trials that so many are going through right now? Read how Paula Skulina from Sweet Pea is living—and thriving—with Stage 4 lung cancer.