Never in our lifetimes has hearth and home been so important, and never has it been so important to nurture ourselves and our loved ones. Staying home to stay well and making the most of the spaces we live in frugally and without using a lot of resources is more of a priority than ever. Welcome to the Hearth and Soul Link Party. I hope and pray this finds you and yours well.
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.
What’s New
Connecting Virtually and ‘A Virtual Cup of Tea’
My husband has been working from home since early March, so we have fallen into a routine that works well for us. My husband works very long hours across time zones so not having a commute has actually been a benefit to us.
Our daily routine now includes virtual tea and coffee breaks with business colleagues and friends to help keep up the morale of others working from home. Later in the day, we sometimes have virtual meet ups for a glass of wine or cocktail with friends.
Early this week I’m doing a beta call on Zoom with some of the ladies who link up here at Hearth and Soul. I’m hoping this will lead to ‘Virtual Cup of Tea’ breaks on a wider scale, so that we can all support one another through this crisis in a more tangible way. I’ll be sending out a newsletter later this week to share more, so please do sign up if you haven’t already.
Hearth and Home On the Blog
My lovely web designer recently added a new recipe plug in so I am going back to check that the over 1,000 recipes I have shared have imported properly. It has been a great opportunity to revisit some of the oldies but goodies from the past 18 years, recipes even I may have forgotten about. I’m looking forward to updating some of the recipes and bringing them forward with new photographs.
Is it just me or is it a lot more stressful meal planning these days? With ingredient shortages and the need to shop as infrequently as possible, I’ve definitely been feeling grateful for the ingredients in my freezer and also for my slow cooker. I can put dinner on early in the afternoon and then we are able to just work through until supper time. We normally eat about 8pm, and the smell of dinner cooking as the afternoon wears on makes me feel so grateful for hearth and home. I made some delicious short ribs as well as some Honey and Garlic Chicken last week. Both recipes made enough for four people, so the leftovers were great too.
If you are struggling with being home all the time, you may find adopting a routine helps. Looking pulled together really makes me feel confident so I’m sharing tips on helping you to Look Your Best While Staying At Home. These tips are also useful if, like me, you are participating in regular FaceTime and Zoom calls.
Thank you so much to you all for visiting and shared your wonderful content!
Hearth and Home Features
Featured Hearth and Home blog posts from left, clockwise:-
With food supply issues and staying in, we can all use these 20 Pantry Recipe Ideas from The Short Order Cook
My husband and I are staying in to help stop the spread of COVID-19 and I have been enjoying making our surroundings even more. pleasant. Penny of Penny’s Vintage Treasures offers so much lovely inspiration in her post entitled Lucky Meadow Farms
I’m working hard to stick to my healthy eating resolutions but I am intrigued by these lovely One-Hour Cinnamon Rolls from Cook with Sara. They will make the perfect homemade, wholesome treat when I really need a lift.
On with the party!
The Hearth and Soul Link Party
*Please help me get the word out about the party on social media
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It helps the party and my blog when you share the party or provide a link back to AprilJHarris.com, but there is no obligation to do so.
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I’m looking forward to your posts! Please take care, friends. Wishing you a safe and healthy week!
Comments & Reviews
Thanks for hosting April. It is great still getting to talk to people over the internet, isn’t it 🙂
It really is, Claire! Thank you so much for visiting and sharing. Have a safe and healthy week!
It looks like you and your husband are coping beautifully with this challenge! Keep on staying safe!
Michelle
http://mybijoulifeonline.com
Thank you, Michelle! Take care and stay well!
Thank you so much for hosting and also for including my Lucky Meadows Farm post…..stay safe….xoxo
It’s a pleasure, Penny! Take care and stay well xo
Your “virtual cups of tea” sounds like a fun idea. Thanks for hosting! I brought by some Coconut Walnut Bars. Hope you enjoy. 🙂
Thank you, CJ! I hope to get them up and running on a wider scale soon! I like the sound of your Coconut Walnut Bars. They’d be perfect with a cup of tea!
Thank you for the great tips! One my my challenges with cooking is that we’ve decided not to get food from restaurants. Even though they are open for pick-up or delivery, we just feel that’s an extra amount of exposure. Since we’re both in at-risk groups, we want to minimize contact with others as much as possible. But I love getting meals out for a “break.” So I’ve been trying to create mini-breaks from cooking by alternating easy meals with more labor-intensive ones.
I totally understand wanting to minimise your contact when you are both in at risk groups, Barbara. That sounds like a very good idea. It’s great to alternate easy and more labour intensive meals. I’m finding the days I use my leftovers in quick stir fries or casseroles provides a bit of a break. Take care and stay well!
We’re so blessed to be able to connect in spite of the virus.Thank you for rolling out the welcome mat!
We are indeed, and it’s my pleasure, Michele! Thank you for supporting Hearth and Soul!
Love your “virtual tea” idea and look forward to the newsletter. So glad you are staying safe & positive. We are adjusting just fine here on the homestead, I’ve been in training for this for years 🙂 Be well and have a beautiful week!
Thank you, Suzan! I’m glad you are doing well too! Stay well, and I hope your week is wonderful too!
Hi April,
A great post today with lots of good ideas for getting through uncertain times. Zoom has become my new best friend and has certainly given many friend groups an opportunity to stay in touch at this time and I am sure now as in the future as well. I feel that some of our life routines and interactions will be changed going forward.As bloggers we can often times see and be a part of the changes before they come into the main stream. Our Granddaughter, an International Attorney, lives in London but has returned to the states to shelter with family members, we are happy to have her closer until all of this is over. You and Guy stay healthy, thanks for all you do, I appreciate you!
Miz Helen
Thank you so much, Miz Helen. I’m glad your Granddaughter managed to get home. It will be nice to have her closer for a time. I appreciate you too, my friend, and I wish you and Leonard good health as well!
Since my husband and I are retired, staying home has been a continuation of most of our days, but I do miss being with my children and grandchildren. We do virtual sessions but it is not the same. We are doing all we can to stay healthy in this worrisome time.
It is hard being separated from our families, Pat, especially when grandchildren are involved. Hopefully this time will soon pass by and we will be able to enjoy each other’s company in real life again. Take care and stay well.
Thank you, April for hosting!
Thank you for visiting, Melynda! Take care and stay well.
Thank you for hosting! This is what I featured the week of 3-23 to 3-27 on my blog. On Tuesday was Banana Walnut Bread. Wednesday was my very own Banana Split Dump and Go Pie. Thursday was Blueberry Banana Bread With a Secret Touch. And winding up this Banana Week of Goodies is Tip Friday Keeping Eggs Fresh. Enjoy!
I love baked goods with bananas, Marilyn! Thank you for sharing!
I’ve been doing zoom meetings myself. Nothing takes the place of real hugs but it is a great way to stay in touch and encourage one another. Thanks for hosting, April.
This is so true, Donna! And it’s my pleasure! Take care and stay well.
We make fun of social media but I am happy that we have it. We can put a little happiness in others lives during this time. Thanks for hosting and I hope that you have a wonderful week. Stay safe.
I agree, Patrick, I am very glad to have social media! I have been trying to comment on your blog, but my comments keep disappearing. (It sometimes happens on other blogspot blogs as well.) I am visiting though! I loved the orchids you took photographs of in your last post. They are stunning! Stay safe and have a wonderful week.
Thank you so much for hosting. The closest we are going to get to a party for awhile.
Yes, it may well be, Anita! Although I am ‘attending’ a birthday party tonight for my twin nephews. We are all meeting up on a group FaceTime call to have a drink ‘together’. I’m quite excited about it! Thank you for visiting and sharing – take care and stay well.
Hi April! I am excited for the Tea Party tomorrow! Thanks for hosting today! So glad you are staying healthy.
Me too, Helen! Looking forward to seeing you later today!
My son and I made those hour cinnamon rolls last week! They were fantastic too.
That’s so good to hear, Joanne! Sara has some lovely recipes!
Definitely trying that chicken.
I hope you enjoy it, Lauren!
Thanks for continuing to host every week. I feel like we all did some things to remain the same in our lives and your party is one of those things! So glad to hear that you and your husband are staying safe together.
Thank you so much, Catherine! I really hope the party will be one of the things that helps us all to get through this challenging time. I’m excited to see where the virtual cup of tea calls go as well. I hope you are both well too!
Thank you so much for hosting! This week I am excited to share my Easter basket ideas for him (a date night version!), my bunny hop easter tablescape, and some great hobbies for kids to take up! Hope you have a wonderful week, stay safe and healthy!
What lovely ideas, Kristin! I look forward to your posts. I hope you have a wonderful week as well. Stay safe!
I wanted to join this party that looks great. I can’t find the mailing list, so I can receive it and not miss the date of it.
Thank you.
Merry Christmas.
Fabby
Hi Fabby,
The party opens up every Sunday and runs till the following Saturday. I’m sorry, there isn’t a specific mailing list for Hearth and Soul. However, if you want to sign up for the blog mailing list, there is a sign up box in the top right corner of the blog pages, or at the very top of the home page.
Merry Christmas!