Hello and welcome to The Hearth and Soul Link Party! I hope this finds you and yours well. This week at Hearth and Soul I’m sharing a focus on a life less ordinary. It’s a continuation from last week’s romancing the ordinary, a celebration of the everyday things that enrich our lives.
Whether your blog posts are old or new, as long as they are about things that feed the soul, they are welcome here at The Hearth and Soul Link Party. Things that feed the soul may include (but are not limited to) recipes, decorating, crafts, family, home, DIY, organization, travel, book reviews, the arts and self improvement.
A life less ordinary is actually what Hearth and Soul is all about. It’s about celebrating all the things that feed our souls. Slowing down, savouring and being grateful for the things we sometimes take for granted are all a part of this. As Mary Jane Irion wrote in Yes, World, published in 1970, “Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure that you are.” Even on normal days, our lives are anything but ordinary.
A Life Less Ordinary
I often take the ordinary moments of my day for granted. However, if the pandemic has taught me anything, it’s that it’s these ordinary moments that make up an extraordinary life. Of course amazing, pivotal moments are important – visiting a place you’ve always dreamed of seeing, accomplishing a big goal or celebrating a milestone. However it’s the ordinary moments that we miss when our lives suddenly change as they have recently. We miss seeing our families, giving a friend an actual hug, going out whenever we want to, spontaneously deciding to go to the movies or to the pub. It turns out our ordinary lives were actually a life less ordinary, and very special indeed.
What’s Been Happening?
My birthday last week was very different than usual, but it was lovely nonetheless. I made my own cake from a vintage family recipe. If, like me, you love a light, moist and super chocolate-y cake, you will love my Easy Devil’s Food Cake recipe. This has been my go-to recipe since I was 10 years old and it’s turned out perfectly, every single time. Perfect for both layer cakes and cupcakes, it even freezes well (although it is best to freeze it without the frosting).
On The Blog
I had such a lovely comment from a very kind reader about this post – How to Poach Salmon Step by Step –
Christine commented, “This was so easy and delicious. I was apprehensive trying this because I used to think I needed olive oil or butter to mask the fishy taste of salmon. I normally don’t like fish. Well that has changed. Salmon is soooo good now. This is the new way I am going to make Salmon from now on.”
I also shared another vintage family recipe.
My late Mom’s Best Potato Salad Recipe has a wonderful, unconventional, method, but it’s incredibly delicious. I always get asked for the recipe when I bring it to picnics and pot lucks. It’s particularly good alongside my poached salmon!
Thank you all so much for your support of Hearth and Soul, and for sharing your wonderful content!
A Life Less Ordinary – Featured Posts
A Life Less Ordinary Featured Posts – from top left, clockwise:-
Rachelle of My Hubbard Home shares ideas and inspiration to help you Create Your Own Summer Sanctuary. By paying attention to the little details, Rachelle has created a beautiful, relaxing and restorative space to feed your soul.
The Lou Lou Girls are celebrating a life less ordinary with a fabulous twist on lasagna that the whole family is sure to love. Serve these fun Lasagna Cups as appetizers, snacks or as part of a relaxed family meal. These would make fabulous canapés when we are allowed to entertain again.
Jean of Delightful Repast shared these deliciously wholesome Fig Rolls, perfect to enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee. They are much better for you than the boxed version. I’m particularly happy Jean shared this recipe as the boxed version doesn’t exist over here in the UK and I have a real weakness for figs!
Personalized footwear can be a wonderful, creative expression of your own unique style. Learn how to make beautiful Customized Rose Sneakers with Kristie of Love My Little Cottage.
Let’s party!
The Hearth and Soul Link Party
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I look forward to your posts. Let’s celebrate a life less ordinary! Take care, stay safe and well, and have a wonderful week.
Comments & Reviews
Happy belated! Thanks for hosting! I brought by some Mexican Corn Salad. Hope you enjoy. 🙂
Thank you so much, CJ! Corn is one of my favourite veggies so I look forward to your recipe too 🙂
A belated Happy Birthday, April! I’m in the U.S. – I agree, those ordinary moments are underrated. I don’t think as a nation we have many ordinary moments since March. That said, I fully support the Black Lives Matter protests, and I hope through these our black citizens will eventually find it ordinary to not fear the police.
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
Thank you, Michelle! It really is a challenging time, but so often positive change comes from the times that challenge us most. I hope that we will see positive change come from all that is happening now.
April
I hope you had a wonderful birthday!
xo Lisa S
Thank you so much, Lisa! It really was a wonderful day xo
Happy Birthday April,
I love your birthday cake and that you made it for yourself! Thanks so much for the yummy party and have a very special week!
Miz Helen
Thank you so much, Miz Helen! I hope your week is wonderful too!
A thoughtful perspective. Who’s to say any of our lives is ordinary?
Thank you, Sandra. I agree – there’s nothing ordinary about any of us 🙂
I hope you had a very Happy Birthday, April!
Thank you, Pat. I really did!
Belated happy birthday! Our area has not been hard hit by the virus, but unfortunately our number of cases has grown pretty drastically in the last week. :-/
Thank you, Barbara. I’m sorry that the number of cases in your area has grown. Do take care.
Yes, I’ve missed those ordinary things so much. It feels awkward to not give hugs to people I love, such as my elderly in-laws. I have to remember that I am loving them by not hugging them, even though it goes against my grain.
Going to check out Lasagna Cups now!
That’s a good way of putting it, Lisa. We are loving those we can’t hug by not hugging them. It’s a comforting way of looking at it.
Birthdays and all are special events are definitely different right now but in some ways, it’s making us a little more creative. Your birthday cake sounds delicious!
Thank you, Donna! It’s true, we really are becoming a lot more creative. I’m also so grateful for technology and all it allows us to do 🙂
Happy Birthday and thanks for another wonderful party 🙂
Thank you, Chas!
Happy birthday April! I love that you have your mom’s recipes and still make them too ♥
Thank you, Leslie! I’m so grateful to have so many of my mom’s recipes – and some of my grandmothers’ and aunties’ as well 🙂
Thank you for hosting! This is what I featured the week of 6-1 to 6-5 on my blog. On Tuesday was Spinach Salad With Crab Cake and Grilled Shrimp. Wednesday saw Roast Beef Waldorf Salad. Thursday was Lobster and Crab Salad Over A Warm Roll. And winding up this Salad Week was Tips For Storing Greens. Enjoy!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
Thank you so much, Marilyn!
Happy belated birthday, April! I hope you had the best day ever! I’m going to try that cake! It sounds delicious! Thank you for hosting and enjoy your week!
Hugs,
Tee
Thank you so much, Tee. It really was a wonderful day! Have a lovely week 🙂 Hugs!
Happy Birthday, hope you had a good one.
Thank you, Anita. It really was wonderful!
It looks like you had a wonderful birthday in spite of the pandemic! Your cake looks delicious! Thanks for the reminder to find joy in the little things. I’ve shared a post about regrowing vegetables from the grocery store. It is amazing for me to notice how giddy I get when I see them start to sprout! Have a wonderful week!
I really did, Helen! Thank you for sharing your post. I’m always fascinated by the veggies that re-grow. It really is fun to watch their progress. Have a lovely week!
Happy belated birthday!
Thank you, Joanne!
Happy belated birthday April! Thanks for hosting the fun and enjoy the week.
Thank you, Julie! Have a lovely week!
Hi April, First time blog visitor and fellow blogger at Colors 4 Health. Many Happy Birthday Wishes and thanks for hosting. Hope you and your readers get some fun ideas from my share, “Budget Friendly Activities to Inspire Joy. Please know I am now following you on FB. Wish you’d get social with me. Be well, stay safe, and lead a colorful life.
Welcome, Nancy and thank you for the birthday wishes! I look forward to your posts! I have followed you on FB as well. Thank you for connecting and sharing!
Happy late birthday!
Thank you, Lauren!
Thanks for featuring my Customized Rose Sneakers, April! What a nice mid-week surprise!
It’s a pleasure, Kristie!
I enjoyed reading your perspective on an “ordinary” life. I think we all appreciate the little things in life a bit more now don’t we?
Thank you, Jennifer! And yes, I certainly do!
Thank you so much for hosting! This week I am excited to share my summer cottage tablescape! Hope you are staying safe and doing well!
Thank you for visiting and sharing, Kristin. I hope you are staying safe and well too!
I agree, the ordinary moments have been so sweet during the past few months! Even though I was ill in the early weeks of the pandemic, I had many occasions to remember my insight a decade ago about how illness is only temporary and there are still moments of pleasure in the midst of it. I’m finally feeling better now and enjoying the spring/summer weather and flowers very much!
I’m so glad you are feeling better now, Becca!
Happy birthday, April I hope you had a good one!
And thank you for the feature.
I really enjoy potato salad and your moms look delish! I will clicking over to get the recipe.
Thanks again for a wonderful link party.
Rachelle
Thank you so much, Rachelle! 🙂