Have you ever noticed that Christmas is all about waiting? I know things like presents, family, festivities, and the birth of Jesus generally come to mind when we think of Christmas. However, waiting is a much more accurate theme. We wait for Christmas in many little ways. Children wait all year to open the presents under the tree. … [Read more...] about Waiting at Christmas
Reflecting on Life
Celebrating Five Years of Blogging at Of The Hearth!
Last weekend marked five years since I began blogging here at Of The Hearth. Five years! It seems like just yesterday that I stumbled through the process of creating this website. It wasn’t just yesterday, though. Since starting the site, I have shared 606 blog posts! Today’s post is going to be a little walk down memory lane. The … [Read more...] about Celebrating Five Years of Blogging at Of The Hearth!
Reasons to Read Fiction
It seems so noble to read biographies about the trials and victories of famous figures or to better ourselves by reading self-help books. Indulging in a romance or suspense novel, on the other hand, doesn’t seem like a particularly dignified use of time. If, like me, you tend to believe this assumption that non-fiction is somehow … [Read more...] about Reasons to Read Fiction
5 Habits That Quell Gratitude
We talk a lot about gratitude during the month of November. Though I try to focus on gratitude all year long, I appreciate the heightened focus on gratitude around Thanksgiving. The more I think about gratitude, the more I realize that it’s not enough to engage in activities that foster gratitude. If I’m going to be grateful every day, … [Read more...] about 5 Habits That Quell Gratitude
4 Ways to Embrace Inconvenience
I don’t like being inconvenienced. When I’ve got my 3-year-old by the hand, the diaper bag on my back, my 14-month-old on my hip, and we’re headed out the door, I don’t like having to stop and reverse because my younger girl just pooped in her diaper. I don’t like when we’re poised to arrive at an appointment in the nick of time, but then … [Read more...] about 4 Ways to Embrace Inconvenience
6 Ways to Cultivate Silence
As we saw last week, there are numerous benefits to carving out periods of silence in our daily lives. Given most of us are busy and are surrounded by technologies that make noise, this isn’t easy to do. Let’s consider some simple ways to cultivate silence. We’re never going to experience complete silence, of course. There will always … [Read more...] about 6 Ways to Cultivate Silence
Why We Need Silence
After putting my girls to bed a couple of nights ago, my husband and I sat in companionable silence as I folded clothes and he reorganized some old computer equipment. I thought about turning on some music, but I realized I was enjoying the silence. There were no children’s voices asking for snack, no towers of wooden blocks crashing … [Read more...] about Why We Need Silence
Christmas in July: Keeping the Christmas Spirit Alive Year Round
I usually focus my Christmas in July posts on topics that will help us plan early so we won’t have a chaotic Christmas season. This year I’m focusing on a slightly different topic. One thing I love about Christmas is the “Christmas spirit” that often surrounds us during the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. We tend to be more … [Read more...] about Christmas in July: Keeping the Christmas Spirit Alive Year Round
