
You probably won’t be surprised to learn that April is one of my favourite months – I used to call it ‘my month’ when I was a kid, although my birthday is actually in June. It really did turn into my month when I met my husband on 1st April 1989, that is for sure! However you feel about the month of April, I hope this finds you in good health and excited for the season to come. Hello and welcome to the Hearth and Soul Link Party!
I invite you to share family-friendly blog posts on topics that nourish the soul with us here at The Hearth and Soul Link Party. From recipes and DIY projects to home décor, crafts, family life, self-improvement, and beyond—we celebrate all the things that inspire, uplift, and enrich our lives.
The Latest
We are back home from Northern California and enjoying some gorgeous spring sunshine here in the south of England. I’m just past the middle of my Lent Kindness Challenge. I like to mark the season of Lent (March 5 to April 17 in 2025) with a personal challenge and this year I’m committing to performing at least one random act of kindness every day. You can start this challenge at any point during Lent – or indeed any time of year – it’s never too late!
It was Mother’s Day here in the UK last weekend and our son and his partner Hannah came to stay with us for the weekend. We had a really lovely time. On Sunday we visited Grey’s Court, one of my favourite nearby National Trust properties. I have updated my article on Greys Court with brand new information and photos, so if you fancy a virtual visit, please click here! The library, drawing room and kitchen are my favourite rooms. The house has a warm, lived in atmosphere and many of the rooms appear as if the family have simply stepped away and might return at any moment.
That’s my son Alexander on the left in the photo below, me and my husband Guy in the middle, and Alexander’s partner Hannah on the right.
There’s a new recipe on the website!
My Melting Moments cookies are buttery, delicate cookies served sandwiched together with a layer of delicious buttercream filling. They practically melt in your mouth! Perfect with a cup of tea, they also make a delicious part of a full afternoon tea. By the way, I realise it is possible you are looking at my Melting Moments and feel that you know them as a different cookie. When I was researching the article to share with my recipe, I discovered that depending where in the world you live, there are many different types of Melting Moments out there! I share more about the variations in my post.
Speaking of afternoon tea, don’t miss my recipes for an Easter afternoon tea, with a traditional Simnel Cake as its centrepiece. (We photographed this post before my kitchen renovation, but the recipes are still made regularly in my new kitchen!)
Get More Out of The Hearth and Soul Link Party
Don’t just drop a link and run – please visit a link or two and if the website resonates with you, consider following the writer on social media as well as leaving a comment.
You can follow my website’s Facebook page or the Hearth and Soul Facebook page and you would also be very welcome in our private Hearth and Soul Community Group. You can share any of your content in this group, not just blog posts, and it’s another great way to connect with other Hearth and Soul participants. And are you on Pinterest? If so, please do pop by and visit me there!
And please do subscribe to receive a FREE downloadable mini ebook – 5 Vintage Family Recipes: Desserts You’re Sure to Love. These are all desserts from my collection of vintage family recipes, passed down through generations of my family.
The Hearth and Soul Link Party Featured Posts
Thank you all for visiting and sharing!
Features From the Hearth and Soul Link Party
Here are a few of most popular posts from last month’s party (according to the stats from Inlinkz).
These tips on Simple Container Garden Designs for Early Spring from Thrifting Wonderland were the most popular post of last month’s party!
Learn how to Pack Like a Pro for a City Break with Pamela of Style Yourself Confident.
Fat Dad Foodie shared his recipe for Gluten-Free Thin Mints.
Estelle from Homemade on a Weeknight makes meal planning easy with This Weeks’ Dinner Plans #18 – a whole week’s menu plan with recipes.
I loved this post from Lisa Notes – What If Your Body Has Been Doing Her Best All Along?
Features from the Hearth and Soul Community on Facebook
These Almond Chocolate Cookies from Nora at Treat & Trick look very elegant – and very delicious too!
Carol at Comfort Spring shared a delicious traditional recipe for Irish Potato Bread, also known as Farls.
The Hearth and Soul Link Party – April 2025 Edition
The Hearth and Soul Link Party is held monthly, opening on the first Sunday of every month and remaining open until the 25th of the month, or until 300 entries are reached.
Please share a maximum of 8 links per month here. Don’t worry, you can share more in the Hearth and Soul Community on Facebook all month long.
Please share the permalink to your blog post, not a link to the home page of your blog. Please do not link to anything except blog posts. You can share other types of content in the Hearth and Soul Community on Facebook.
By submitting a post to the link party here, you assert that you own the content and photographs. You also give me permission to share them here on the blog as well as on Pinterest, my own Facebook page , The Hearth and Soul Link Party page and The Hearth and Soul Community Facebook Group.
The April 2025 edition of The Hearth and Soul Link Party is open until 25th April. Please come back as often as you like to share and also to visit other links and be inspired! I would also be super grateful if you would share the party and invite your blogging colleagues and friends to join us.
The May 2025 edition of The Hearth and Soul Link Party will open on the first Sunday of the month, Sunday 4th May 2025.
I am excited to see what you will share this month. Happy April everyone!
Comments & Reviews
Happy Spring, April! It’s always so lovely to visit at the beginning of each month (and then throughout) to see what you’ve been up to and all the fun posts that are shared. We appreciate you and then many ways you support this community each and every month! Thank you! 💕
Thank you, Laura! Happy Spring to you too! I am so glad you enjoy Hearth and Soul – it’s my pleasure hosting 🙂 💕
Happy April, April! I hope this note finds you well. Thanks so much for hosting and warm hospitality each month. I’m so happy to visit. I’m sitting at #11,12,13&14 this month.
Xo
Thank you so much for all your support of Hearth and Soul, Paula! Happy April!! xo
April, thank you for hosting. Your melting moments cookie recipe sounds wonderful. Have a great week.
Thank you, Steph! I hope you have a wonderful week too.
What a fun month to celebrate. 🙂 Grey’s Court looks lovely. And I, too, really enjoyed the Lisa Notes post about bodies–such an important perspective beautifully stated. Today I’m sharing links 28 & 30. Off now to see what others have shared. Enjoy your April, and thanks for hosting!
Thank you, Jennifer! I hope your April is lovely too!
April your Melting Moments are so pretty, very tender and delicate. Thanks for hosting another great gathering of bloggers and wonderful ideas, I appreciate it!
Melynda @scratchmadefood!
Thank you very much, Melynda, and thank you for all your support of Hearth and Soul and of the Hearth and Soul Community!
Thanks, April, for the party. Love your kindness challenge, I am all for this but year round.
My entries this month #46+47+48+49.
Hope to see you also share with https://esmesalon.com/tag/seniorsalonpitstop/
That’s a fabulous idea, Esme. I do try to be kind whenever I can, but making a point of doing at least one thing a day would really focus the mind. Thank you for visiting and sharing.
Thank you for hosting, April! I am ready for spring, but the weather does not agree just yet. Looking forward to reading about your travels and recipes!
I hope your weather picks up soon, Leslie – and thank you! I really appreciate your support of Hearth and Soul.
Such a lovely photo of you & your family April!
Mother’s Day in here in Australia is the second Sunday in May each year.
Melting moments are delicious. I’ll have to look at your post.
I’m sitting at #56-59 this month. May you have a wonderful month April!
Blessings, Jennifer
Thank you so much, Jennifer. We had a really happy day. Australia is like Canada for Mother’s Day – or Canada is like Australia, I’m not sure who was first! When I first came to England from Canada I could not figure out why we celebrated Mother’s Day so early here. Although some years I have had two Mother’s Days because of a timely visit to Canada so it has worked out well for me 😉 Wishing you a wonderful month too, Jennifer!
Blessings! x
I think I met my husband in September, but our first date was in January. January has always been my least favorite month due to the cold and bleak landscape–but you’ve reminded me of a reason to appreciate it! 🙂
What a wonderful Mother’s Day you had!
Those cookies look scrumptious.
I’m so pleased I reminded you of something lovely in January, Barbara. I dislike January’s weather too, but our son and his partner have their birthdays in January so that gives me a reason to appreciate it too. It really was a lovely Mother’s Day – and thank you for the compliment on the cookies!
Thanks for hosting and really honored that my Almond Chocolate Cookies was featured on Hearth and Soul Facebook page…
It’s my pleasure, Nora! I really appreciate your support of both the link party and the Hearth and Soul Community Facebook page! Have a lovely weekend.
Your melting moments looks delicious. My husband thinks melting moments are more like a bun covered in coconut, where as I think they should look like yours! It is funny how we get regional variations on things like this. I’ll pin your recipe so I can give it a try.
Thank you, Julie! It is funny how we get so many regional variations – I find it fascinating! Thank you for pinning, and I hope you enjoy the recipe when you try it.