Grace at Home No. 453

Hello, friends! We've almost made it through January; can you believe it?

January and July always seem like the longest months to me, and I wonder why that's true. I know of course that they're each 31 days long, but maybe it's because the weather tends to be extreme in both months. What do you think?

In any event, I'm glad to welcome you to the Grace at Home party, where we celebrate all the ways we make our homes and spheres of influence places of grace and beauty. Here are some highlights from last week's party.

Do you like to be inspired by getting a peek into a designer's home? Just take a look at the laundry room makeover done by Renae at Peacock Ridge Farm. Here's the before:

And here's a bit of the after:

Wondering how on earth you can afford to buy furnishings for your home? Rita from Panoply can help—she shows an amazing array of furniture she's found second-hand.

Do you need your house to be extra- cheerful during these long winter months? A visit with Debbie at Debbie-Dabble will lift your spirits and show you how to work with the season to make things bright and cheery in the kitchen.

Want to decorate for Valentine's Day? Get some inspiration from Penny at Penny's Vintage Home.

Are you planning to celebrate "Galentine's Day" this year? Andrea from Living on Cloud Nine shows how to make a great charcuterie board for the occasion.

Looking for some new winter veggie recipes? Melynda from Scratch Made Food for Hungry People shows how to prepare delicata squash.

Need some refreshment for your soul? Pam at A New Lens will help you to think about the goodness of relationships.

Thank you to everyone who joined last week! Now for this week's party. Here at the Grace at Home party, you can link up any post you've written that demonstrates how you're filling your space with truth, goodness, and beauty. 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 or sphere of influence 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! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Grace at Home No. 452

Today I am writing as I sit by the fire, doing my best to stay warm. This week has brought snow, sleet, and cold rain to our part of the world, so I am grateful for our fireplace.

Last week was very different. Instead of being at home by the fire,  I was relaxing by the pool! My husband and I took our first vacation in two years and spent a week in Palm Springs, California. This was the courtyard of  our VRBO apartment with our own private little pool:

I started to share some of our vacation photos on Instagram while we were in California, but since we'd left our home empty, I found myself wondering if I should spread the word that we were out of town. What do you do in that situation?

Anyway, I'm so glad to welcome you to the Grace at Home party, where we celebrate all the ways we make our homes places of grace and beauty. Here are some highlights from last week's party.

Want to create a welcoming front porch even if the weather's frigid? Denise from My Home for All Seasons shows you how.

Want to treat the hungry birds in your yard? Liz from Howling at the Moon shows you how to make this beautiful cake for the birds.

Does your skin suffer in the wintertime? Vicki from Fivespot Green Living may be able to help. Check out her simple recipe for homemade eczema cream.

Hoping to get organized this new year? Melissa from Everyday Savvy can help you get started by showing you what to throw away. I need this list!

Niky from The House on Silverado will take you step-by-step through organizing your linen closet and bathroom drawers.

If you need some motivation to get organized, Angela from Simply Beautiful by Angela can help. She shows you her favorite organized spaces, and they'll inspire you.

It's hard to believe that Valentine's Day is less than a month away! If you'd like to make homemade treats for your loved ones, check out these coconut truffles from Renae at Peacock Ridge Farm. 

And for your soul's health, I highly recommend reading how Michele Morin from Living Our Days answers the question: "Is It Worth Going Back to Church Again?"

Thank you to everyone who joined last week! Now for this week's party. Here at the Grace at Home party, you can link up any post you've written that demonstrates how you're filling your space with truth, goodness, and beauty. 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 or sphere of influence 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! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Grace at Home No. 451

Hello, friends, hello! I'm stunned to realize that we're already halfway through January. Isn't it interesting that sometimes hours seem to drag, but weeks and months fly by?

I'm glad you're here for the Grace at Home party, where we celebrate all the ways we make our homes and spheres of influence places of grace and beauty. Here are some highlights from last week.

Do you need inspiration for a bathroom update? Regina at Saved from Salvage completed a guest bath makeover that'll knock your socks off.

Are you trying to get organized for the new year? Years ago I learned an important principle (that I'm still learning to practice!): you can't organize clutter. If you need help de-cluttering, check out this 30-day challenge from Julie at Filling the Jars.

If you've decluttered and find that you still need storage space, you'll be glad to get this tutorial for an under-bed storage drawer from Paula at Sweet Pea.

One of my resolutions is to write more notes of thanks and encouragement, so I was glad to see this list of things to write in a thank-you note from Paula of Bless this Mess.

Are you a football fan? We loved watching the college football championship this week, and we're looking forward to the NFL playoffs. If you're hosting a gathering for a special game, you might want to check out  this fun game day charcuterie board from Jennifer of Wanderlust and Wellness.

For everyday dining, I'm always on the hunt for good soup recipes, so I was glad to find this one from Ann at Ann's Entitled Life.

If you need some encouragement about how to get 2022 off to a good start spiritually, I think you'll appreciate this post from Lisa of Lisa Notes.

Thank you to everyone who joined last week! Now for this week's party. Here at the Grace at Home party, you can link up any post you've written that demonstrates how you're filling your space with truth, goodness, and beauty. 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 or sphere of influence 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! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Grace at Home No. 450

Happy New Year, friends!

I hope you had a blessed Christmastide and that you're enjoying the start to the new year. I certainly have had a good 2022 so far. Just look:

My husband and I got to go to Washington for our grandson's first birthday. Such fun!

We were thrilled to visit Washington last year just after our grandson's birth, but our son was deployed at that time. This year, Daddy and Mommy were both on hand for the big first birthday, and the celebration was one for the books. A little one makes life so much fun!

Now I'm eager to see what you've been up to. Thank you for being here for the Grace at Home party, where we pause to celebrate all the ways we make our homes and spheres of influence places of grace and beauty. 

Here at the Grace at Home party, you can link up any post you've written that demonstrates how you're filling your space with truth, goodness, and beauty. 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 or sphere of influence 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! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter