
Hello and welcome to the February 2025 Edition of The Hearth and Soul Link Party. Things start to get more interesting in February. Green shoots from the spring bulbs are starting to break through the soil and the snowdrops are already in bloom here in the UK. We even occasionally see the sunshine, making everyone feel a bit more like venturing outdoors, even if we have to bundle up or take an umbrella just in case. The promise of spring makes everything feel brighter and more energised, and I for one love it!
Also, inspired by Valentine’s Day, I like to think of February as the month of all kinds of love – love for our friends, families, partners if we have them, our pets and fellow humans. There is so much going on in the world that is unsettling or even downright alarming, but if we focus on love, it can change our perspective and bring us hope. Even if you have mixed feelings about Valentine’s Day or think of it as a bit of a “Hallmark holiday”, looking at it as inspiration for a month of love can make it feel more worth celebrating.
The Hearth and Soul Link Party invites family-friendly blog posts to nourish the soul. 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 On The Website
Whether you fancy a virtual visit or are planning a trip, I hope you will enjoy my Florence Travel Tips. My husband and I had a wonderful short break there in November and I highly recommend it for a city break or as a destination on a longer, multi-city European trip.
If you hadn’t already guessed, I am beyond excited for spring. I love to use it as a catalyst for brightening everything up, including my home. I’m sharing some new Spring Decorating Ideas on the website at the moment – as well as Spring Cleaning Tips if you feel that way inclined!
Simnel Cake is a traditional British recipe, an easy to make, light fruit cake, with a marzipan topping. There is also a layer of marzipan in the middle, making it especially moist and delicious. Here in the UK, it was first associated with Mother’s Day and now with Easter. It’s also a great recipe for a lighter fruitcake that you can enjoy all year round, with or without the marzipan topping.
There are also easy recipes for Sheet Pan Pork Tenderloin with Mediterranean Vegetables and Lentils, an irresistible Triple Ginger Pound Cake and a family recipe for light and fluffy pancakes or flavoured pancakes (any flavour you like!), perfect for Shrove Tuesday/Pancake Day on 4th March.
Please do have a look around and let me know what you think. And if there is anything you would like me to cover in future, please drop me an email or a comment yo let me know.
Have You Got The Inside Scoop?
The latest edition of my newsletter is entitled Embracing the Season You Are In and I’d love for you to have a look. If you like what you read, you can sign up for my newsletter and receive a FREE downloadable mini ebook – 5 Vintage Family Recipes: Desserts You’re Sure to Love.
Let’s connect on social media too! You can follow my website’s Facebook page and you are also very welcome to join our private Hearth and Soul Community Group. You can share any of your content there, not just blog posts, and it’s another great way to connect with other Hearth and Soul participants.
The Hearth and Soul Link Party Featured Posts
From The Link Party
Paula from Between the Bookends is offering inspiration for your reading list with her post, My Favourite Fiction Reads of 2024.
Laurie and Laura from Our Grand Lives shared a lovely glimpse into their Christmas celebrations – and a fun idea for decorating for birthdays near to Christmas that could come in handy next year in Life Lately.
If you need a gluten-free treat, Shirley of Gluten Free Easily is sharing her friend Kim’s recipe for Gluten-Free Cinnamon Bun Cake. It looks so yummy!
If being more mindful is something you are aiming for this year, don’t miss Nancy from Colors 4 Health’s article, Awesome Ideas To Help Us Use Our Five Senses To Be Mindful.
From the Hearth and Soul Community on Facebook
Melynda from Scratch Made Food shared her collection of Recipes We Make On Repeat, to Keep Our Pantry Stocked. From Grandma’s Two Day Pickle Slices to Chocolate Sugar, there are some delicious ideas in this post.
Fancy a little treat? Carol from Comfort Spring has a recipe for Maple Pecan Shortbread Squares you won’t want to miss!
Thank you all for sharing your inspiring content! What will you share with the party this month?
The Hearth and Soul Link Party – February 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 at the party. (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, X (formerly Twitter), my own Facebook page , The Hearth and Soul Link Party page and The Hearth and Soul Community Facebook Group.
The February 2025 edition of The Hearth and Soul Link Party is open until 25th February. Please come back as often as you like to share and be inspired!
The March 2025 edition of The Hearth and Soul Link Party will open on the first Sunday of the month, Sunday 2 March, 2025. Have a fabulous February!!
Comments & Reviews
Happy February April! What a surprise, thank you so much for the feature! And thank you so much for hosting and warm hospitality. I’m sitting at #1&2 this month.
xo🤗
Thank you, Paula! I hope February is a lovely month for you 🤗 xo
I’m back sitting at #17 this time. 🤗
Hello again, Paula! Thank you for sharing again 🙂
Happy February! Thank you for hosting this lovely link-up. Wishing you a wonderful week.
Happy February to you too, Steph! I hope you have a wonderful week as well.
Thanks so much April for featuring “Awesome Ideas to Help Us Use Our 5 Senses to Be Mindful” at this link party. I’m thrilled and honored. Wishing you a happy Feb. and be well. Nancy Andres @ Colors 4 Health.
It’s my pleasure, Nancy! Wishing you a healthy, happy February too!
As usual you have so much good and uplifting here, between your own shares and those of your contributors! Thanks so much for including the Cinnamon Bun Cake. It’s delicious and makes me smile every time I see it. I’m doing some getting-ready-for-Spring decluttering myself. It will be hard to let some things go but they have served their purpose for me and can go on to bless someone else.
This week I’ve linked up some recipes that would work great for the upcoming Super Bowl.
Thanks for all you do as always!
Shirley
Thank you so much, Shirley! Good luck with the decluttering, and I hope you have a wonderful month!
It’s been a pretty strange January here on the east coast of Australia April. Our normally hot & sultry Summer actually became really cold at times& had us back in warm clothes!
Your break in Florence sounds rather romantic!
Thank you for hosting, I’m a bit late this month so I’m sitting at #73 – 76.
Blessings, Jennifer
I’m so sorry that you have had strange weather, Jennifer. That is rather disappointing! It was a lovely break, thank you. We both really enjoyed it.
Blessings to you!
Hi April
Happy February! I’m back to blogging! I began with an update about my husband for all that did not know about his surgery. Thank you for all your well wishes to him!
Hi Pat!
Happy February and welcome back! I am so glad Vinny is doing well.
I look forward to reading your post. That kind of first hand information is so valuable to have. I remember it was a real education when my dad had open heart surgery nearly 30 years ago – and I know so many advances have been made that a lot has changed!
Thank you for hosting, April. I love reading about your travel adventures and seeing places I have never been through your eyes!
I am so glad you enjoy my travel adventures, Leslie! Thank you so much 🙂 Thank you also for being a part of Hearth and Soul.
Since having children, we’ve always celebrated Valentine’s Day as a day for family love, not just romantic love. I think it’s my favorite holiday–though I love many of them!
I haven’t seen any green shoots coming up yet, but it was warm enough this afternoon to go outside without a coat. It felt so nice! I know we have more winter weather coming up, but I am enjoying the nicer temperatures while we have them.
I love the first day it is warm enough to go outside without a coat, Barbara! It feels like such a hopeful sign of spring. Thank you for visiting and sharing.
April, thank you kindly for featuring my collection of Salad Dressing to please the whole family. I appreciate it. Have a great week ahead, and thanks for hosting.
It’s a pleasure, Melynda! Have a wonderful week ahead!
The cake looks absolutely yummy, and I am wanting a bite. Thanks for all your support of other bloggers. I hope February is an awesome month for you. I want SPRING and understand your need for it too.
Thanks for featuring my Maple Pecan Squares. I appreciate it!
It’s a pleasure, Carol! Thank you for sharing them 🙂
Thank you, Carol! I hope February is an awesome month for you too!
Hello April! So happy to see the new party is started! Right now I’m working on gardening and really enjoying it. I’ll be sharing more about it soon! Thank you for hosting!
Hello Helen! Gardening sounds wonderful – my garden is only just starting to come to life, but it will be warmer soon. I look forward to hearing more about your gardening adventures! Thank you for visiting and sharing.
Thanks for hosting. I need to go to the Facebook group. I hope that you have a wonderful week.
Thank you for visiting and sharing, Patrick! I hope you have a wonderful week too!
What fun to stop by and see our “Life Lately” post featured here! Thank you, April! We love participating in your monthly link up and appreciate all you do!
It’s a pleasure, Laura! Thank you 🙂
I’m back sitting at #127 too 🤗
Thank you for visiting and sharing again, Paula!
Happy February, April! That simnel cake looks so interesting–I’ll have to try it. I’ve shared 137 and 138 today. Off now to see what others have shared. Thank you so much for hosting!
Happy February, Jennifer! Thank you for visiting and sharing. I hope you enjoy the Simnel Cake recipe. Have a lovely rest of the month!
April, Thank you so much for hosting the link party each month! I enjoy checking out the ideas! I appreciate all the work that goes into it. I can’t wait to read your Florence tips, a Florence visit is definitely on my bucket list. – Patty
I’m so glad you enjoy the link party, Patty. Thank you for your very kind words and for visiting and sharing. I hope you enjoy my article on Florence, and that you are able to visit this wonderful city sometime soon.