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 name

Have you ever wondered about the name of my blog? It’s not the easiest name to get right! Many people mistakenly refer to it as “Of The Heart” (which is quite fitting, actually) or even as “Of The Earth.”

The name came to me when I first began thinking about documenting my thoughts and ideas in a blog. I wanted to write about the things that were most important to me: Faith, family, and forging a difference in my community. I believe that the events of everyday life hold the potential to stimulate growth in these areas of our lives. It was (and still is) my desire to discuss these things—being a wife and mother, caring for my home, cooking, budgeting, getting to know my neighbors, etc.—in ways that facilitate spiritual growth, nurture our families, and inspire us to make positive differences in our communities.

What does a hearth have to do with all of this? For much of history, the hearth was the central and most important element of a home. It was indispensable because it provided heat and a place to cook. Of course, not all hearths are in homes. Some are located in smithies and are used by smiths to heat metals. When heated, the metals are easier to shape, allowing smiths to forge the metals into various instruments. Given these roles of hearths in homes and smithies, the term hearth is sometimes used to denote centers of vitality and creativity. These definitions—a gathering place that provides warmth and nourishment, a place of formation, and a center of vitality or creativity—embody the spirit of this blog.

Top posts

These are the most viewed posts on the blog:

1. Philly Cheese Meatloaf
2. Cleaning Schedule Architecture: Building One that Works for You
3. Cheesy Baked Egg in Toast
4. What To Do With Baby: A Guide to Developmentally Appropriate Play
5. Revisions and Customizations to My Cleaning Schedule
6. Philly Cheesesteak Casserole
7. Alternative Gift Exchange Ideas
8. Cauliflower Crust for Quiche
9. Setting Goals as a Couple
10. Using Oatmeal to Treat Dry Skin
11. Common Housekeeping Conundrums: Rust in Bathtubs and Sinks
12. Month-by-Month Buying Guide
13. Road Tripping with Baby: Tips for an Enjoyable Ride
14. Building a Home Management Binder that Works for You
15. The Best Ways to Ease Symptoms of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease
16. Sloppy Joe Macaroni & Cheese
17. Affordable, Easy-to-Prepare Meals for Large Groups
18. King Ranch Chicken
19. Meatloaf Parmesan
20. Marriage Check-In Questions
21. 25 Outdoor Activities for Babies to Enjoy During the Summer
22. Dare to Prepare: Obtaining and Storing Disaster Preparedness Supplies
23. DIY Cake Smash Photo Shoot
24. The Lowdown on Microfiber Cloths
25. Dare to Prepare: Assembling a Basic Disaster Preparedness Kit
26. Easy Ways to Enhance Your Femininity
27. 20 Easy Ways to Flirt with Your Husband
28. A Year of Preplanned Dates Gift Idea
29. Home Decorating Considerations for Christian Women
30. Cheeseburger Quesadillas

I’ve had fun reminiscing! I hope and pray that Of The Hearth blesses you as much as it does me. It is an honor to have you join me here as we learn and grow together!

Please use the comments form below to share any feedback you have about the blog. I take your ideas and opinions into account when writing posts and making updates to the site.