Under An English Sky

2026-03-31T19:36:00.001+01:00

Hello dear friends,

If you have found your way here, I want to begin by saying how grateful I am that you have spent time with me Under an English Sky.

This space has been a quiet gathering place for the things we hold dear—home, the turning of the seasons, the beauty of the natural world, and the gentle rhythms that shape our days. It has been a joy to share these moments with you.

Over time, however, my writing has begun to settle more deeply into these themes, and I felt the need for a space that could hold that growth more fully.

I am now writing from a new home:

🌿 Seasons of Grace & Learning

You will find the same love of home, nature, seasonal living, and thoughtful reflection...nothing of that has been left behind. Instead, it has been carried forward and given room to flourish more intentionally.

If these are the things that have drawn you here, I would be so delighted to welcome you there.

I am now sharing regularly, and I would truly love for you to continue the journey with me.

You can find me here:
👉 https://seasonsofgraceandlearning.com/

Thank you, as always, for your kindness, your presence, and for being part of this unfolding story.

With love,
Shirley

Themes and Plans for October

2025-10-02T09:21:00.001+01:00

In the season of mothering and educating my children, I began the habit of observing the seasons and trying to make each one special by thoughtfully planning activities that would bring a bit of what the season has to offer to our attention.

This has helped us live in the moment, slow down, and notice what each day, month, and season has to offer. It's about being aware of our blessings in every life season.

October always feels like the very heart of autumn to me. The trees are glowing with colour, leaves drift gently to the ground, and there’s still a little breathing space before winter comes knocking. It’s a month that invites us to pause and savour the season. I remember last October giving us some glorious days, and even now—despite the grey clouds and blustery winds (and the impending arrival of storm Amy tomorrow)—I’m hopeful for a few more soft, golden afternoons before the colder months arrive.

Because October holds so many simple joys and reasons to celebrate, I like to spend a little time gathering my thoughts and making some gentle plans. Out come the autumnal candles, favourite recipes, and weekly folders, ready to hold all those little touches that help me notice and enjoy the season as it unfolds. Here’s what I’m looking forward to this colourful, breezy month.

Folk law

Traditional Rhyme: Rain in October means wind in December

Gemstone: Opal or tourmaline

Flower: Marigold/Calendula

Full Moon: Hunters Moon (7^th)

Nature

Apple and pumpkin picking!
Autumn mists
Cooler Temperatures
Windy weather
First Frosts
Fly Agaric (those cute little red and white mushrooms) and other Fungi flourishing
Shrubs and Trees heavy with autumn berries
Busy Squirrels burying nuts in my lawn as they prepare for colder days
Sloes ripening

Garden

Rake up leaves
Create insect hotels and hedgehog hideouts
Empty out last of the flowering annuals
Dig over beds
Harvest pumpkins
Wrap up and cover up frost sensitive plants

Home

Canning and preserving the last of the harvest (loads of tomatoes in our case)
Stock up on a few more blankets and hot water bottles
Pantry list – stock up on winter staples
Batch meal prep for the freezer
Winter PJ’s for all and warm jumpers/jersey’s
British Summer Times Ends – put clocks back 1 hour on 26^th

Food

Bring out the crockpot!
pumpkin pie
Cinnamon Buns - try out flavour variations
Apple crumbles and pies
Cook up a variety of soups for the freezer. These make for quick and easy lunch options.
I have loads of recipe ideas for pumpkins and apples and am eager to try them out - you can check them out on my Pinterest Board.

Faith -The Liturgical year

St Francis of Assisi – 4^th
St Luke – 18^th

Arts & Crafts

Autumn Leaf Suncatcher

Leaf Wreath

Leaf Lanterns

Painted Autumn Leaves

Natural Room Scents

Bees Wax Leaves

Check out my Four Seasons Pinterest Board for more ideas.

As the month unfolds, I hope you find little moments to pause and enjoy the beauty all around—whether it’s a walk under golden trees, baking something comforting in the kitchen, or simply sitting with a cup of tea and watching the leaves tumble past the window. October always feels like such a gift, a gentle reminder to slow down and delight in the season before winter makes her entrance.

May you experience God's blessings in you home this month.

Closing the Door on a Life Season

2025-09-29T09:48:00.006+01:00

After 15 months of living in state of flux, we finally completed on the sale of our house in Chester on Friday last week. It was a bittersweet moment when I received the telephone call from our solicitor telling us that we had completed.

We were no longer owners of the home that has housed our family for the past 5 years. In those four walls, we built memories, cried tears, experienced loss, dealt with health issues, faced uncertainty and change.

It was the home that saw the end of our home educating journey, a safe haven for our girls to return each day after university lectures, a launching pad when they finally fledged the nest.

As I wrote a little "Welcome Home" card and placed it next to a box of chocolates and a bottle of wine for the new owners earlier on in the week, I prayed over the house.

"Lord, may this be a safe and happy home for the new owners. May the experience every blessing and create a myriad of happy memories together. Bless this home and this family".

I'll be honest, over the past 15 months I really could not understand why it was that the door kept closing on our sale, why we experienced such an uphill battle to pass it on.

Three of my friends sold and bought houses in that time with very few problems, it was disheartening.

But there came a point when I realised that God was working out His good plans in our lives, directing our paths, and showing us that His way was infinitely better than our personal plans.

Our plans had us moving to the Lake District, further away from our children and our community. God's plans placed us in the Welsh hills, within easy commutable distance of our children.

Our plans had us downsizing to a small 2 bedroomed cottage. God's plans placed us in a sizable home with 4 bedrooms. Our children and their boyfriends and friends have spent a significant amount of time visiting and staying with us. More so than when we lived in Chester. This home seems to invite people to stay. It's inviting, warm, comfortable, spacious enough for everyone.

Our plans had us moving closer to my husband's place of work. A job that made him deeply unhappy and stressed and was having a very real impact on his health. God's plans had my husband step back from his job, retire from the hotel industry, and move toward finally opening his dream business. Since leaving full time employment he is happier, healthier, has lost weight as he has time for regular exercise. I am no longer fearful of him having a heart attack. We are looking forward to opening our own little coffee and artisan food shop - a long held dream.

Our plans were for a quick and easy sale so that we could push on with independence. God's plans forced us to depend on Him and His timing. That process restored my trust in God, trust that had been severely shaken after the untimely death of two close friends.

I have since been able to let go of my own plans that seemed "the sensible thing to do" and am trusting him to lead me along a different path, a path of a ministry which He placed in my heart when he asked me to trust Him and home educate our daughters 20 years ago. I'm grateful that my training allows me to work in a freelance capacity right now, allowing plenty of time to step out in faith as He leads me down a new path.

My angst has faded. I don't have any assurances as to what the future holds but I do know that I am back on the path that God has planned for me, for us, because I know God's peace that suparsses all understanding (Phil 4:7), and I have not had that peace since our home educating days came to a close.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways", says the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. " ~ Isaiah 55:8-9

While hindsight is a wonderful thing, the process of walking through difficult times is a refining and necessary process if we are to grow in our faith.

While I couldn't see it at the time, am grateful that our journey was not a smooth and easy transition. It was not what we needed and our Heavenly Father knows best. He knew exactly what we both needed, and for all our kicking, screaming and tantruming - He patiently loved us and revealed His good and perfect way for our lives.

Whatever season you are in, lean into God and trust His ways. He loves you deeply and wants good things for His children. Sometimes our understanding of what 'good things' are may not be the 'best' things.

Wishing you every blessing this week.

Lessons From Our Homeschool Journey:: When Doubt Calls

2025-09-25T07:00:00.003+01:00

Each Thursday I’ll be sharing a post from the archives—words written in earlier seasons of my homeschooling journey that still hold meaning and encouragement for today.

I spent 15 years home educating my daughters at a time when home education in the UK was very much the road less travelled. Instead of following the traditional British route for high school qualifications, we felt led to pursue the American SAT pathway. To say I often questioned myself and felt out of my depth is an understatement. Yet we held fast to our conviction that continuing with a Charlotte Mason education through the high school years was right for our daughters and best suited to their learning styles.

In God’s kindness, that decision was rewarded—both girls went on to be accepted into British universities. As I look back, I see how those years were filled with both joy and challenge, and how the lessons we learned remain just as relevant today. This post, originally written some years ago, is one I believe still speaks into the heart of the homeschooling journey, so I’m delighted to share it again from the archives.

From the Archives...

Choosing to homeschool our children has truly been one of the best decisions of our lives. The memories and experiences we’ve gathered are treasures we will carry forever. I feel deeply blessed that I still have two years left of shared learning with my youngest. Our homeschooling journey isn’t over yet, and I intend to savour every single moment that remains.

But today, I want to talk about something that can quietly steal our joy along the way: the “voices” that come at us from every side. Some mean well, trying to encourage us, yet they leave us feeling judged or inadequate. Others are far less external—they are the whispers of our own fears and insecurities, growing louder until they become a flood of doubt that threatens to paralyse us.

These are my own reflections on those two types of voices. Perhaps they’ll resonate with you—or perhaps not. Either way, I share them in the hope of encouragement.

The Voices That Mean Well

Who are the voices in your life? For me, they’ve often come from the blogs I’ve read, the online groups I’ve joined, the books or podcasts I’ve followed, or even from fellow Christians we love and respect.

When you see another homeschool mum’s beautiful blog, complete with perfect photos and inspiring projects, it’s easy to compare and feel “less than.” Or when a popular podcast suggests a particular method, you start to wonder if that must be the only “right” way because of their large following.

Sometimes, it’s even the subtle pressure from within our Christian communities—well-meaning comments that leave us feeling that if we allow our children to read certain stories or watch certain programmes, we’re somehow falling short of God’s will.

The danger is this: if we give those voices too much weight, they drown out the gentle whisper of the Holy Spirit, the only voice we should ultimately be following.

The Voice of Fear and Doubt

Then there’s the inner voice—the one fuelled by our fears and uncertainties. I’ve wrestled with this deeply, especially when I’ve found myself without a community of like-minded homeschooling mums.

More than a decade ago, God called us to homeschool. He placed on our hearts the desire to raise our children to know Him and live for Him. By His grace, that has been our guiding light. Yet even with that assurance, the world’s expectations can press heavily. We wonder: What if my child’s path looks different? What if it doesn’t align with what is considered “normal”?

Community makes all the difference. When we walk with others who share the same vision, we can pray together, encourage one another, share ideas, and remind each other of God’s faithfulness. Without that, it’s far easier to slip into fear-driven decisions.

Here’s a real example. A while back, I found myself in knots because my daughter would finish her A-Levels at 19 instead of 18. For reasons I can’t quite explain, this consumed me. I stressed about university applications, worried about being “behind,” and allowed fear to overshadow peace.

Then God graciously intervened through a simple conversation. I was speaking with a fellow homeschooling mum—someone who had already graduated two children and was calmly guiding her son through his A-Levels, also to finish at 19. She answered my questions with wisdom and reminded me that this was not unusual. More importantly, she reminded me that God’s plan for each child is unique.

I left that conversation both refreshed and repentant. I realised I had been listening more to fear than to God. And I was reminded how vital it is to stay connected with others walking the same road.

Since then, I’ve made a conscious effort to build that fellowship again. A few local homeschooling mums and I now meet monthly, simply to encourage one another. It has been life-giving.

Guarding Our Hearts

Fear and doubt creep in quietly, but they take root quickly. Guard against them by surrounding yourself with voices that strengthen rather than weaken your trust in God’s calling. Stay connected with people who point you back to Him, and keep His gentle voice louder than all the rest.

Wishing you God’s richest blessings today.

Counting My Blessings

2025-09-13T14:29:00.000+01:00

A Heavy Heart

The past few days have been heavy. I did not know Charlie Kirk personally, but I was familiar with his work. While I did not always agree with his political views, he was first and foremost a brother in Christ, a husband, and a father. To hear that he was so brutally murdered simply for speaking, debating, and seeking to shine light is both horrifying and deeply troubling.

What shakes me even more is witnessing people publicly celebrate the violent death of another human being. Such cruelty, such callousness—it reveals something very dark about the state of our society. My heart grieves for his family and friends, for our Christian brothers and sisters in America, and for the wider world in which hatred is allowed to fester so openly.

On Community

After sharing a simple Instagram story—a photograph of Charlie Kirk with a few words of sorrow—I immediately saw my follower count drop. A sharp decline, just like that.

Now, let me be clear: I have no concern for vanity metrics. Numbers on a screen do not define me, nor do they measure the worth of my life. I come from a time when relationships and real connections meant far more than “likes” and followers.

What I do care about is the kind of community I nurture around me. If those who unfollowed me are people who would celebrate the violent death of a Christian man, then it is best that our paths diverge. We clearly do not share the same value for life, compassion, or truth. Circumstances such as these always reveal the true heart of people.

Drawing Nearer

And so, I turn my gaze back home and count my blessings. In a world that feels increasingly fractured, I am reminded of the importance of surrounding ourselves with people who share our values, who offer encouragement, and who seek light over darkness.

Even in sorrow, we can choose to draw nearer to God, to hold fast to His truth, and to be grateful for the community of faith He gives us.

Counting My Blessings

In times like these, when the world feels harsh and unsettling, I find myself cherishing even more the peace and beauty I can create within my own home.

Home is where we practise gratitude in the ordinary, where we nurture our families, and where we remind ourselves that God’s goodness is still all around us.

One of the small yet meaningful ways I mark this season is by showering our home with autumnal touches—simple decorations that speak of warmth, abundance, and the comforting rhythm of God’s creation.

My hops garland arrived from Huskin Hops on Friday. I absolutely love decorating my home with natural material, usually gathered from nature on my walks.

I had seen hops garlands in various places over the years and really wanted to have one for my own home. However, our previous home just did not lend itself to a hops garland. We didn't really have a natural place where it would hang.

Our new home has a lovely inglenook. The moment I saw it I knew that I would be ordering a hops garland for my autumn decor. It has not disappointed! I absolutely LOVE it!

Of course, I have added a few other autumnal touches because September 1st is autumn for me. There's no waiting until the autumn equinox in my home. I want to get every ounce of autumnal goodness from the season before we transition into the festive season.

So the candles are out and the house fills with the scent of apples, cinnamon, pumpkin and spice each evening.

Autumnal pictures have been hung...

Corners of my home are lit with fairy lights and adorned with garlands and much loved homespun decorations have been brought out of storage and now take pride of place for another autumn season.

Books are being gathered in preparation for longer nights and cozy days. I'll share my autumn book basket in another post. I have added some lovely books to my home library over the last few months that I am excited to share with you.

I love the changing light at this time of the year, it comes in gently and pools in little puddles of warmth throughout the house at different times of the day. What a lovely small blessing!

I have always paid attention to the simple, small things and I love making my home a haven for my family and for those who cross the threshold. Last night, I overheard my husband telling my daughters boyfriend that after a long day at work, he always got excited about coming home because it was his 'happy place' and it was made so because of the love lived within its walls and the care taken in making our home a haven.

I was so touched by that. That is exactly why I do everything I do, and why I place such value on the simple things that go into running a home.

I want my Biblical womanhood, love and faith that I hold in my heart for my Lord and for my family shown in practical ways through the canvas of my home and it appears that my husband has felt that. It touched my heart hearing those words.

Thinking about it later on in the evening, I was reminded of the importance of the woman in the home. We set the tone, we are the thermostat to the atmosphere of our home. We can bring blessings in so many ways. Be encouraged. I know it can often feel like a thankless and overlooked task. But what we do matters. It brings blessings!

Before I go, I wanted to share a beautiful playlist that I came across the other day. I hope you enjoy listening to it as I have and may it be a blessing to you.

May your homes be filled with faith, love, peace and joy this next week.

Seasonal Living in September: Welcoming the 'Ber' Months

2025-09-01T06:00:00.019+01:00

The Seasonal Home in Early Autumn

The approaching autumn brings a gentle shift in the air—a coolness in the mornings, the first golden leaves crunching underfoot, and a quiet turning inward that seems to come quite naturally as we prepare to welcome in a new season.

Early autumn always brings with it a sense of settling. The light softens. The evenings come sooner. The pace slows, just a little. There’s a deep comfort in the changing season, a rootedness I always look forward to.

In my Seasonal Living in August post, I mentioned how I would mark each month with seasonal themes that helped shape our learning and home life. Now, though the season of homeschooling has passed, I find myself still looking to the calendar and the natural world as gentle guides for how I care for my home and heart.

Autumn invites us to look inward—not just within our homes, but within ourselves. And in a world that often rushes headlong through the year, I want to pause and dwell in this moment. I want to notice the beauty, the comfort, and the provision. To let the Lord remind me that He is present in every season, both around me and within me.

🍂 Biblical Encouragement for the Homemaker’s Heart

There’s something profoundly spiritual about this time of year. The harvest season has long been a symbol of gratitude and dependence on God's provision. As the trees let go of their leaves, I’m reminded to let go too—to release the things I don’t need to carry, and to trust in the One who provides what I do.

“Come before Him with thankful hearts. Let us sing Him psalms of praise.”

—Psalm 95:2

In these quieter days, when the world outside begins to hush, I’m turning my attention more intentionally to home and heart. I’m asking God to make me sensitive to His rhythms, to help me honour Him in the small, unseen acts of homemaking, and to fill this season with His peace.

🍁 Early Autumn Homemaking Rhythms

Autumn homemaking doesn’t need to be grand or hurried. It’s the season for softening, for making things cosy and warm, and for drawing our families close. Here are a few gentle shifts I’m making around our home this season:

✨ Create a Cosy Atmosphere
Soft blankets are finding their way back onto armchairs. Candles are being lit earlier in the evening. I’m tucking away the lighter summer décor and pulling out warm amber tones, soft browns, and rusts. Even something as simple as a small pumpkin on the kitchen windowsill feels like a quiet celebration of the season.

🍂 Autumn’s Bounty
The kitchen begins to fill with richer scents—cinnamon, apple, roasted vegetables, and slow-cooked suppers. I find joy in baking again. A batch of apple muffins or a simmering pot of soup on the stove fills the house with warmth. I might even attempt a new recipe or two—something comforting and nourishing to match the mood of the season.

🌾 Preparing the Home
As we begin spending more time indoors, I like to refresh the spaces we’ll be using most. I’ll give the sitting room a bit of a tidy, perhaps add a seasonal cushion or a dried flower arrangement. These aren’t tasks so much as gentle rituals that help me mark the changing days.

🍎 Simple Autumn Joys

The beauty of autumn is that it doesn’t demand much—it simply invites us to notice. Here are some quiet pleasures I’m leaning into this month:

Wandering through crunchy leaves with a warm scarf and a brisk breeze
Collecting conkers and acorns on a walk through the park
Sipping hot tea while reading by a rain-streaked window
Lighting the first fire of the season
Setting the table with seasonal touches—a mini pumpkin here, a linen napkin there
Pressing leaves between the pages of a book, just like I used to as a girl

🕊 Tending the Heart

As the world quiets, I’m leaning more intentionally into quiet time with the Lord. This slower season lends itself beautifully to reading Scripture, journaling prayers, and simply sitting still in His presence.

I don’t want to miss what He might be whispering in these quieter months—those small nudges that are so easy to overlook when life is loud and busy.

And Finally...

Early autumn invites us to return home—to settle into rhythm, to light the candles, to fill the pantry, and to wrap our loved ones (and ourselves) in warmth and grace.

My prayer is that this season will be one of reflection and peace. May we not rush ahead but savour what is. May we be mindful of the beauty tucked into ordinary days. And may our homes, whatever their shape or season, be a haven of comfort, welcome, and faith.

As always, dear friends, thank you for walking this journey with me. I’d love to hear how you’re embracing early autumn in your home—do drop a note in the comments or come visit me on Instagram.

With warmth and gratitude,

Shirley Xx

The Power of Choice in the Shifting Season

2025-08-18T15:12:00.002+01:00

We are just a few weeks away from the start of a new season, my favourite season of all...autumn. I am aware of the fading summer garden and the shortening days. I am no longer awakened at 4am with the rising sun, and I am having to switch on the lamps earlier in the evenings.

Come and spend the afternoon with me as I observe and reflect on the shifting season and our power of choice within each season of life.

The trees are all looking tired and dusty now, as if they are approaching the finish-line in a marathon. Some are holding on to their leaves with all their might, yet somehow failing in their quest. The summer's heat and lack of rain is leaving the tell-tale signs of unseasonably dropped leaves littering the parched grass. I am reminded of the hot African summers of childhood.

As I stand at my kitchen window washing the dishes in the deep white ceramic Belfast sink, I watch butterflies dance in the dusty air before briefly landing on a nectar-rich flower head, then just as quickly, they dart away, meeting midair for a brief spiralling waltz before going their separate ways. I am filled with the memories and peace of childhood summers whose days seemed to last an eternity and I wonder how to recapture the time.

Drying my hands, I move to the conservatory, I think I will spend an hour working on my cross-stitch autumn sampler. I continue to ponder on how easy it is to allow the sands of time plumett through the thin neck of the hourglass, it seems to run quicker the older I get. Why is that?

I realise that time is time. It has always been what it is. The time of childhood days is the same time of adulthood. The difference is that children know how to value and spend their time.

As adults, we can be swept away by the ever-growing To-Do list. We have an insatiable need to always be busy, sometimes these are from external sources but a lot of time it's the self-imposed by the choices we make.

I realise that I lose a LOT of time on futile and empty pursuits such as social media, or engaging in tasks that really could wait a while or perhaps spending too much time on tasks that could be done just as well in a more focused, better-planned way that would free up time.

My choices and actions run along well-established lines of habit without any serious thought - this can change.

I look up from my stitching and watch the birds fly in and out of the three feeding stations I have set up. Amongst the regular Blue Tits, Great Tits, Sparrows, Robins and Starlings, I notice a new visitor...the Chaffinch. He has a slate grey head, orange cheeks and breast, and white wing bars and a silver bill. His female counterpart is slightly more demur and lacks the burnt orange colouring.

I set aside my stitching, trading needle and thread for my camera.

It's been a long while since I had Chaffinches visiting my garden. I have noticed a marked difference between the suburban garden of our last home to my new country garden.

I pick up my needle and thread again and contemplate the thought that soon autumn will be ushered in. I love this time of year so much. Nature holds a gentle reminder that our days are numbered, they always have been, and we should be wise in our choices and how we spend our time, and on whom we invest time.

Children know. They live in the moment. When they are playing ball they are 100% committed to the game. When they are exploring a river or field, they are completely committed, driven by their need to know and discover more. When they encounter a new creature, their attention is focused on it, watching, observing, holding it in awe and wonder.

We have a healthy population of frogs in our wildlife pond.

They are unapologetic in wanting to spend their time on things that bring them joy, that capture their attention, that feed their curiosity rather than spend a disproportionate amount of time on things that sap the joy and purpose from their days.

As adults, we are more aware of time slipping through our fingers, should that not be the very incentive to evaluate and decide to be purposeful in how we spend our time?

Soon I am once again setting aside my needle and thread in exchange for my camera, a new visitor, one which I have never seen before...

I manage to get a few well-timed shots and then pull a field guide from my book shelves...a Nuthatch. I am absolutely thrilled!

A little while later, after having spent time in the garden, I return to the kitchen to find a small sparrow has somehow found its way into my kitchen. It's frightened, desperate to get out. I try my best to direct to to the open window. It stands on the cusp of the windowsill and then in its distress, takes the wrong flight path and flies right over my head, straight into a closed window. It immediately drops to the floor, lifeless.

I feel so terribly sad as it lies in my hand. Just like that - this small creatures life is extinguished. This morning, it had no inkling that today was it's last day. One wrong turn was all it took. There is a lesson here.

Be Brave and Make The Changes That Need To Be Changed

I know that I need to make a change, this whole year has been about needing to change. Escaping from the 'way things are' and not accepting them as the way they have to be.

There was a time when we read real books and not just for 10 minutes before bedtime when we squeeze in a few lines on our backlit Kindle before our eyes close in exhaustion.

Instead I can CHOOSE to take a real book at anytime of the day (work allowing) and sit on the lawn or a park bench and immerse myself in the authors world.

There was a time when we got our news from printed newspapers, and once we had read what we needed to read, we closed the pages on the wider world and got on with living our days, our moments. Now, we are bombarded with news, real and fake, 24 hours a day from multiple sources and worse, we willingly subject ourselves to that!

I can CHOOSE to modulate how much news I consume and choose where I get it from. I know that my choice will reduce overload anxiety while still keeping me informed. Personally, I don't need to be updated on a daily basis on all the horrible things that are happening or on the screaming opinions - all of which are determined to have their say and all of whom are convinced that their opinion is more valuable than any you may hold yourself. I can shut the door. It's my door to shut.

There was a time when we valued our role within the home, taking care to be frugal, to plan, to only spend on what was necessary and not use shopping as a means of emotional therapy or as a means of acceptance. yet 'keeping up with the Jones' has reached epidemic levels perpetuated by social media. We seek to keep up with holidays, aesthetically pleasing homes rather than down-to-earth, warm, inviting, homespun, genuinely welcoming embracing with arms-wide-open, old-fashioned hospitality.

I can CHOOSE to stop falling for the expert marketing from people whose only wish to to capitalise and line their own pockets from selling old-fashioned warmth and hospitality by selling 'things' that will 'give you' that old-fashioned feel. I can CHOOSE just to BE hospitable right where I am with what I have and save money while I'm doing it.

When we realise that we have the choice at any time in our lives to reject 'the way things are' or 'this is just the way it is in the modern world', we are empowered by the momentum created by our active choosing.

If you want to sit at the edge of a pond and watch the frogs rather than go out and put on the next load of washing, do it. The washing can wait 15 minutes.

If you wish to spend an hour of your free time reading a new book or working on your favourite craft, do it. You are entitled to spend time doing something you love rather then always feeling that you have to tick one more thing off your 'To-Do' List. There will always be things to do and those things tend to be like an insatiable beast, never satisfied, the hunger never quelled. Ditch the guilt - do lovely things that make you happy.

Don't wait until you have the 'perfect home' to extend warm hospitality, do it now, where you are - people want to spend time with you. You are the key and most important factor, not your surrounds. Be a blessing and be blessed.

Well lovelies, I hope that you are looking forward to the new season and perhaps look forward to spending a bit of pondering time on your own life season.

Sending you warm blessings.

Seasonal Living in August: Celebrating the Last Weeks of Summer

2025-08-01T07:00:00.006+01:00

August is here, the last month of summer. We've had some glorious weather this summer and a good few rainy days too which has been nice. I feel like we have had a good run of weather this year and while I am not wishing away these last days of summer, I have to admit to looking forward to everything that autumn brings.

I think there is something deeply comforting about planning for the seasons and it is something that I have done in our home for the past 20 years. Each month brings its own beauty and meaning, and I love weaving these moments into our home life.

Celebrating the small markers of the year not only created lasting memories for my children growing up, but also keeps us all connected to the gentle rhythm of the natural world. Even though our daughters have left home and have homes of their own, I still continue these simple seasonal rituals in my home.

Season-keeping, as I like to call it, brings me so much joy—but it does take a little planning! At the start of each month, I set aside time to gather my thoughts and sketch out simple ways to reflect the season in our daily routines. This helps me turn inspiration into action and ensures that I really notice and savour the gifts of the moment.

I’d love to know how you mark the seasons in your own home—I'm always on the lookout for fresh ideas and inspiration!

In my Home Journal, I keep a section for each month of the year. Tucked behind each tab are notes and plans from previous years, which I revisit at the start of the month alongside my calendar. I draw from a blend of resources—Pinterest boards brimming with ideas, favourite books, saved magazine clippings, and bookmarked blogs—all of which help me dream and plan with intention.

Here’s a glimpse at what August looks like in my seasonal planning this year...

Folklore

Gemstone: Agate
Flower: Gladiolus
Sayings: If the first week of August be warm, the winter will be long and white.
Full Moon This Month: Sturgeon Moon

Nature

Late Summer
Shortening Days
Busy Insects
Summer holiday
Full Moon - 9th August
Blackberry picking
Perseid Meteor Shower - expected peaking 12 August this year. (pre-dawn is best viewing time)

Homeschooling

Clear out the schoolroom for the next academic year
Refresh stationary supplies
order curriculum and books
Sort out the bookshelves - perhaps order a few new seasonal books.
Plan field trips for the autumn months
Plan autumn nature studies
Sort out clothing and make lists for winter clothing needs.
Plan a 'back-to-homeschool' surprise.

Home Blessings

Wash and refresh all the blankets and quilts ready for autumn and winter use
May as well get those curtains and cushion covers washed too 😉
Pick flowers from the garden to enjoy indoors.
Clean bird feeders in readiness for cooler months
Start making gifts ahead of Christmas
Utilise home-grown produce or foods that are in season now and make soups for the freezer to be enjoyed in autumn.
Plan your autumn decor and make lists for what you need; what you already have; and what you can gather from nature. Afterall, Autumn is right around the corner!

Food

BBQ's
Homegrown tomatoes
Basil
Peas off the vine
Baking bread for Lammas day
Garden Tea Party for Tasha Tudor Day

Life

Afternoon Tea Week (11th - 17th) - Celebrating the great British tradition of afternoon tea! (plan a tea party with friends)
August Bank Holiday (25th) - the last Bank Holiday in the run-up to Christmas

Summer Crafts and Activities

Stargazing
Make some natural room scents for last days of summer.
Colour some Wild Carrot (Cow Parsley)
picnics in the woods
pond paddling
Make lavender wands

In My Book Basket This Month

The Dun Cow Rib: A Very Natural Childhood
A Thousand Feasts: A New Memoir on How To Find Joy in Food, Travel & Gardening
English Pastoral: An Inheritance
The Magic Apple Tree

The purpose of creating a seasonal mood board is to bring some of these lovely ideas to life—whether it’s reserving books from the library for our reading corner, pencilling special outings or celebrations into the calendar, or trying a few seasonal recipes to mark meaningful days.

The key to season-keeping is consistency over perfection. It’s about establishing a gentle rhythm that supports your family life—not overwhelming yourself with grand plans. A few simple, well-chosen ideas go much further than an overambitious list. As the saying goes, baby steps!

Wishing you a joyful and peaceful month of season-keeping...

Where Badgers Visit and Owls Call: Life in Our Welsh Country Home

2025-07-31T09:25:00.002+01:00

It's 5am on the first morning in our new home and I am sitting in the conservatory, my hands cupped around a steaming mug of tea, watching a badger gorge on bird seed from the feeder he has tipped over and raided.

I move to re-adjust to a more comfortable position, alerting the badger to my presence. He freezes, our eyes lock for a second, and he turns tail and lumbers off across to the far end of the garden before disappearing through the hedgerow into the field beyond. A small mouse darts out of the undergrowth to steal a few sunflower seeds left behind by the badger.

At dusk I watch bats zig-zag across garden hunting for insects and at night, just before I slip into sleep, I hear the mournful call of an owl. the I feel like I may just be living in a Brambly Hedge storybook!

I had forgotten the deep, beautiful silence of the countryside. This morning, that silence was punctuated by birdsong and the sheep having a chat to one another, no doubt discussing their plans for the day.

It's been 10 days since we moved into Hillbank (the house name reminds me of Beatrix Potter's 'Hilltop Farm'), our home in a small village in the Welsh hills. It feels comfortable, like pulling on a favourite well-worn comfortable jumper on a chilly autumn morning. The house embraces us with its warm wooden flooring and deep inglenook fireplace which promises to wrap us in warmth and cosiness throughout autumn and winter.

The garden is wild. It has not had a proper caretaker for many years. The grass has been allowed to romp freely into the flowerbeds, the rushes have taken over the pond to the point that you would not know that it is there, and the moss in the lawn could provide a hundred florists with all they need for their floral arrangements for months.

It will be a labour of love to restore the garden to what it once was.

Last week I picked up a few supplies at the small farm shop in the village and met some lovely ladies. "You must join the WI when we reconvene in September!"; and, "We have a choire, do you sing?", then, "Oh we are short of a soprano, I do hope you will join us".

I can see that life will be rich and full here. I am very much looking forward to being part of village life.

This home would have been a perfect homeschooling home! It was the first thing my daughter said to me when she popped over for a visit. She's right, it would have been 😊.

But this home is the start of a new chapter for us. It's a home that anchors us as we start new ventures. My husband has semi-retired - that is, he has left the hotel industry and will be starting his own artisan food and coffee shop. I have finally started writing again and am working with a mentor as I journey to get published.

I don't know what the future holds, do any of us? But I know that for this next season in our lives, we are exactly where we should be. It won't be our 'forever' home as we are just renting 'Hillbank' while we build our businesses, and I still have a hankering to live in the beautiful Lake District.

But for now, I know that this is the right place for us to roost. It is near to our adult children, both of whom are in their own seasons of building and establishing their lives and who appreciate the support and proximity that this home offers to us all.

It will be our place of recovery after a really difficult and emotional home sale process (please do pray for us that our house sale goes through and does not fall at the final hurdle once again). Our place of gentle adjustment as we move out of suburbia and back into the countryside, losing many of the conveniences that come town living.

It's a place gentle reconnection as we adjust to what life looks and feels like with both us working in a self-employed capacity. I'm grateful that we will get to be the caretakers of this beautiful home and garden and to write 'Under a Welsh Sky' for a season 💕

A Year of Resolve : Real Books & More

2025-07-11T06:00:00.001+01:00

2025... is my year of resolve.

In February this year, I wrote a post on slow living. I was feeling overwhelmed with the pace of life, the influence of social media, even the slow life is being romanticised unrealistically. With the rise of AI, we are in more danger of losing our jobs, skills, talents, original thought and ideas.

I keep seeing people pushing how you can use AI to generate whole books and courses with just a few prompts. Well my question is, where is the real connection that the reader forges with the author through the ART of storytelling through their unique command of words and language?

Are we entering another 'dark age' without realising it? An age where we hand over original thought and talent to AI and stop thinking for ourselves altogether? Where we stop creating and rely on AI generated art, books and stories?

I am not a complete luddite, I do see how these things can be helpful and beneficial, but I fear that we will lose more than we gain. There is no going back, we have no choice but to hang onto the train of progress for it is moving forward whether we like it or not and we are going to have to fit in.

But I think this is precisely all the more reason to live with resolve. To be purposeful in how we choose to live life. In being purposeful in our choices and remaining grounded enough to not lose sight of the importance of old-fashioned skills and slow ways.

All this fits into my year of resolve. A purposeful return to gentle things, real things.A purposeful relationship in faith with Christ. A purposeful return to the gentle art of homemaking. To learning new skills and returning to the gentle rhythms of the home.

Real Books

I mentioned in this post that I intended to read only 'real' books this year. Well, that resolve quickly grew and it seems to have taken on a whole new wonderful momentum.

I am enjoying visiting my local library, browsing the shelves and choosing a great big pile of books. What I'm enjoying more, is building my very own library at home!

You see, visiting the library and seeing all those wonderful books seemed to awaken something in me. I've always loved reading books. My dad used to call me 'Horizontal Harriet' because I was always lying on my bed or under a tree reading a book.

What I love about them (books) are the worlds authors create. I am transported into a land that is simply quite magical and I get to share in the adventures with the most marvellous characters, who become lifelong friends.

As a homeschooling family we have always had a deep love for and a lot of books. At the moment, most of our books are in boxes. I'd love to say it's down to our pending move, but it's not.

They have been in boxes for a number of years because I have not made space for them. I have not been mindful and purposeful in giving them a home since our homeschooling days drew to a close.

Typing those last few sentences actually made me quite sad!

My latest acquisitions for my home library

So I am glad that my simple step of going back to the library initiated this new journey...a journey to curating a home library and writing.

I have been purposefully seeking out new titles, buying real books - hardcover if possible, I prefer hardcover.

In our new home we have a lot of space, space to have a home library, not just a small corner, but enough space to have a couple of floor to ceiling bookshelves.

I've treated myself to British Library Crime Classics subscription. Each month a box arrives with a new classic crime book and a beautiful vintage print which I plan on framing once I have a set of 6 for my home office.

A Writer's Almanac

The momentum continues...

At age 9 I submitted a story I wrote to a competition the local newspaper was holding and won! Right then and there I knew that I wanted to be an author.

I've always loved writing. I am a writer. I write here on my blog. I write for a homeschooling nature study publication. I have a huge bag full of journals that I have kept over the years. I keep a nature journal. I am a writer.

I realised that I need to write to be happy. To be who I was created to be. To make sense of this world we live in. To create.

And so I am.

I've been exploring letting go and embracing new beginnings. I've started a dedicated writers blog/newsletter on Substack, a platform for writers. You can read my first post called New Beginnings Are Hard.

I've rebranded my YouTube Channel to be more in keeping with who I am. A woman of faith, a writer, homemaker, observer of the seasons and nature lover.

At the moment I'm uploading short videos and plan on creating longer content videos after our house move. The content will not be solely focussed on knitting as it was, it will be much broader.

I plan on taking you with me on nature walks, giving you behind the scenes peeks into my nature journal, my writing, my seasonal living and home, and so on.

You can subscribe to my YouTube Channel HERE, and to my Substack here. If you are on Instagram, you can follow my writing account called @shirleyannvelswriter

Anyhoo, I think that about wraps up this bookish post. If you are fellow bibliophile or writer, I hope that you will join me on my journey on any of those channels. If not, I shall see you back here very soon.

It's The Simple Things That Count

2025-07-10T11:45:00.000+01:00

Materialism is an ever-constant assault on our senses. It's everywhere. All the time. Trying to convince us that happiness and contentment can be bought.

I was scrolling through my archives and found this post that I wrote in 2015. I couldn't help but think how much pressure to 'have more to have happiness' has increased with the growth of social media and influencers since writing this post.

Honestly, it's exhausting to be constantly told how to 'find happiness'. Ultimately, the people who are trying to convince us of their wealth = happiness gospel are doing so because it has a direct correlation to their own bank balance!

So, I thought it may be a good time to re-publish this post as timely reminder to rebalance our thoughts and hearts on what truly matters in life.

From the Archives:

In today's post I wanted to share some lovely simple things from my week that have made me happy. It seems to have become a bit of a ponderous post for me though after our read-aloud time this morning. So instead of speaking about those lovely simple things, I will pen out my thoughts and pepper this post with pictures of them instead.

I am reading the book 'Daddy-Long-Legs' by Jean Webster to my girls during our read-aloud time. In today's reading the main character, Judy, writes to Daddy-Long-Legs of her first visit to New York. She writes,

"I can't imagine any joy in life greater than sitting down in front of a mirror and buying any hat you choose without having first to consider the price! There's no doubt about it, Daddy; New York would rapidly undermine this fine stoical character which the John Grier Home so patiently built up."

Her very next letter sees her in a more rational frame of mind. Daddy Long-legs evidently sent her a cheque after reading her letter, but she returns the cheque with a note explaining why she cannot accept the money, she writes,

" I am sorry that I wrote all that silly stuff about the millinery shop; it's just that I had never seen anything like it before."

I'm sure we can all find a time in our life when we felt like Judy. It is so easy to get sucked into a world of materialism. I usually try to avoid shopping malls that hold every top brand name, or those streets in London that house the same. It sucks you in and you begin to feel a little like Judy. I know what she means when she says that *New York (*fill in your own city/mall/shopping weakness here) would undermine her stoic character.

Materialism is a terribly enticing and bad master and the truth is that shopping up a storm or adding 'stuff' to your name does not make you a happier person. Unfortunately we spend our lives having advertising companies bombarding us with messages on why we will only ever be happy if we buy x-y or z.

The best way of counteracting this is to cultivate a spirit of thankfulness for what we have and appreciating the simple things in life.

There are many, many things to be thankful for and appreciate if you just look around you. Here are some of mine this week:

* The good health of everyone in my family

* BBQ's on a warm spring evening

* Nature walks with my children

* New life springing out from all quarters every single day

* A roof over our heads and food in our tummies

* A good job to keep us in above-stated condition :)

* Being able to sit quietly and work in my nature journal

* Good friends to talk to

* Happy memories of family holidays and times together

* Living in England! I love this country and feel blessed to be here

* Seasons - I love the seasons

* Birdsong - how can you not be cheered when you stop to listen to them

* Buzzy bumble-bees and fluttery butterflies - all out in the sunshine

* Washing dancing in the wind as it dries outside on the washing line

* Freshly cut lawn

* Clouds scudding across the blue sky

* Blossoms and blooms - they are everywhere at the moment

* The feel of my fountain pen moving over paper as I write in journal entries

* Reading good books together with my children and for myself. We have many wonderful memories of books read together. I'm so grateful that I have given my children a living-books rich curriculum

* Jumping on the trampoline with my daughter and laughing until our sides hurt

* Eating ice-creams outside in the warm sunshine

* Seeing the Cowslips blooming - they are so sweet, I love them.

I could go on but I fear I might bore you LOL. But I'm sure that as you read my list you will see that none of the things I have listed as precious and thankful memories and moments have cost very much or anything at all.

In a world that seems to have gone half-crazy on materialism, I'm immensely grateful that its the simple things in life that make me most happy.

A blessed Thursday to you all...

A Year of Waiting: Our Long Road to Moving House

2025-07-08T16:25:00.003+01:00

It’s been a full year since we first placed our home on the market. To our surprise, it sold within just two days, and with multiple offers on the table. We had hoped that this was a sign of things to come—swift, smooth, and straightforward. In truth, that was where the ease ended.

Since then, we’ve experienced just about every setback the UK housing market can throw at a seller. We are now on our third buyer. Yes—third.

Buyer One: A Lesson in Disappointment

Our first buyer, as it turned out, was not acting in good faith. We were given reassurances that their sale was progressing, their finances were in order, and that everything was proceeding as planned. Sadly, these turned out to be untruths. The week we were due to exchange contracts, they suddenly withdrew—having apparently found “something more suitable.” It’s difficult to understand how some people can so casually disrupt the lives of others.

We will miss this garden that we have so lovingly built!

Buyer Two: A Heartfelt Attempt

Back on the market we went—and again, the house sold in a few days. We’re fortunate that our home has always attracted interest; it’s in a good location and offers lovely spaces. Our second buyer was a kind couple, genuinely lovely, but they faced repeated setbacks with the sale of their own property. After several failed attempts, the stress became too much for them, and they made the understandable decision to withdraw entirely from the process.

By this point, seven months had passed since we first accepted an offer. Our own intended purchase understandably could wait no longer and returned their home to the market.

This is a bumper year for our little apple tree. If we have not completed on our sale by September, we will be harvesting these apples!

Buyer Three: Hope With Caution

And so, the house went back on the market once more—and again, sold within days. We were careful this time, choosing buyers who had already sold their property and appeared to be progressing steadily. They are, again, a lovely couple, but complications in their chain have brought fresh delays. We are reassured each week that completion is on track for the end of August—but after the year we've had, I take such assurances with a pinch of salt.

What we’ve come to realise is that throughout this process, buyers have not always been transparent about the challenges they are facing. We’ve often found out about issues far too late, when momentum has made it difficult to pause or pivot. It's disheartening. I find it very difficult to reconcile with the idea of withholding truth to preserve a transaction.

A Change of Direction

A year of living in limbo—of half-packed boxes, cleaned cupboards, and cautious hope—has finally taken its toll. We need to move forward.

So we are.

The new house - we are looking forward to making it our family home.

We’ve found a lovely house in the countryside to rent—a peaceful, pretty place that feels just right. By removing ourselves from the chain, we can hopefully make the next step a little simpler. When the time is right, we’ll be in a position to buy again, this time as cash buyers, and with far less uncertainty surrounding us.

We had been due to move at the end of May, with all parties in agreement, but then the bottom of the chain collapsed again. That was the final straw. Thankfully, the owners of our new rental home were happy to delay our move-in, and it suited their needs too.

We have a wonderful new garden to look after!

Now, in just under two weeks, we’ll be making our move—this time for real. I’m grateful we’ll be able to settle in without the exhausting pressure of a same-day exchange and completion. Anyone who has experienced that will know the near-impossible task of handing over a clean, tidy house while simultaneously moving your worldly belongings into a new one.

This past year has revealed just how deeply flawed the UK’s house buying and selling system really is. It’s costly, fragile, and frankly, in desperate need of reform. Too much is left to chance and goodwill—both of which can run out quickly in a long chain.

But in spite of everything, I’m choosing to look forward. A new chapter is beginning, and I pray it will be marked by peace, stability, and new rhythms of home.

Making Home with Your Hands & Your Summer Peace Plan Printable

2025-06-27T10:19:00.001+01:00

There’s something deeply comforting about crafting with your hands—especially in summer, when the days stretch long and golden, and the pace of life invites us to slow down, savour, and make space for peace.

This week, I’ve been leaning into that sense of intention and simplicity—creating with joy, prayerfully preparing for the seasons ahead, and grounding my days in gentle rhythms. I’m delighted to share a few of those things with you today: a cheerful handmade rag wreath to brighten your home, beautifully decorated candles ready for gifting, and a free printable to help you map out your own peaceful summer.

✽ Creating a Home that Whispers “Welcome”

I started the week with a simple, satisfying craft: a fabric rag wreath. This is the sort of project that feels timeless and comforting—no fancy tools required, just your hands, some fabric scraps in soft summer hues, and a bit of time to tie and tuck.

Each scrap carries a story—a memory from an old sewing project or a remnant too pretty to part with. As I knotted them around the frame, I found myself praying quietly for my home and those who pass through its doors.

✽ Preparing for a Season of Giving

While the warmth of summer wraps us in sunshine, my thoughts often stray to Christmas. Yes, really! I love to use these quieter months to prepare small, thoughtful gifts that can be wrapped up with care when Advent arrives.

This week, I dressed a few candles with a collar of brown craft paper and seasonal trims—tucked away for December gifting. There’s such peace in this kind of quiet preparation. It feels like sowing seeds of love in advance, ready to bless someone months from now.

Perhaps you’d like to make a few too? Pop on a hymn or soft music, brew a cup of something soothing, and let your hands create beauty.

✽ A Printable to Help You Plan a Peaceful Summer

To accompany your slow summer days, I’ve created a Summer Peace Plan printable, designed to gently guide your heart and home toward peace. It's a one-page resource you can tuck into your journal, pin on your fridge, or keep near your Bible.

It includes:

Daily Anchors for Peace like prayer, time outdoors, and creative moments
Soul Prompts to reflect on what God may be inviting you to release or embrace
A Gentle Summer List of soul-nourishing ideas—from pressing flowers to reading under a tree

This is not a to-do list, dear friend, but an invitation to slow down, breathe deeply, and dwell in the quiet, nurturing presence of God this season.

✨ Click here to download your free Summer Peace Plan printable

PS. You can download this plan anytime from the FREEBIES page on this blog.

✽ Homemaking as Worship

Whether you’re stitching, baking, tying ribbons or simply sweeping the kitchen floor, I believe these acts can be a form of worship. When we make our homes with love and intention, we reflect the heart of our Creator—who made all things good, and called them beautiful.

So as summer unfolds, may you find peace in the small things. May your hands be blessed in the work they do. And may your home be a haven of grace.

With every blessing...

Starting a Simple Stitching Practice This Summer

2025-06-25T17:50:00.000+01:00

There’s something about the slower days of summer that seems to invite me to pick up something gentle and meaningful with my hands. Perhaps it’s the longer evenings, or the unhurried rhythm that naturally follows the school year winding down, or in my case, a considered return to the gentle art of homemaking.

Whatever it is, this season feels like the perfect time to begin—or return to—a quiet stitching practice.

Needlework has long been a companion to peaceful moments. Whether it’s the soft click of knitting needles, the rhythmic pull of thread through linen, or the satisfying neatness of tiny cross-stitches forming a pattern, there is a kind of stillness that settles over me when I work with my hands. It's a way of grounding myself, of inviting beauty and creativity into the everyday.

This summer, I’m leaning into those slower moments by spending more time with needle and thread. I find that cross-stitch and embroidery offer just the right amount of focus to quiet the mind, while knitting feels wonderfully meditative—especially when paired with a cup of tea and a breezy open window.

Needlework has threaded its way through may seasons of my life - some joyful, some trying - and it's always brought a sense of clam and comfort.

Needlework has been my companion through many a season. It has been a link from my role as a young homeschooling mother with days packed with learning and the challenges that parenting can bring, through the transition over the turbulant rapids of discovery throughout that empty nest season, into the still waters of acceptance and a new season.

I recently spent some time sorting through the stitching supplies and fabrics I’ve gathered over the years and came across three unfinished projects, along with materials set aside for others I’ve yet to begin. I'm so grateful I took the time to store these treasures carefully—they’ve waited patiently, ready to be picked up again.

This summer, I’ll be returning to these three projects, gently weaving a simple stitching practice into the rhythm of my days and weeks.

A Little Winter Robin

This little "Feathered Friend" stitchery in issue 234 of The World Of Cross Stitching magazine which I started in 2018.

It was going to be a gift for my grandmother, we have shared a love of the little British Robin since my childhood. Sadly she passed away a few years ago and I never got to gift it to her.

It's a stark reminder to not put off for tomorrow what we can do today.

I think that finishing this little chap and displaying him in my home this Christmas time will be a beautiful tribute to her.

I can imagine it catching my eye as I work in the Kitchen during that joyful season, and to be reminded of her. It will be like she is with me in the ordinary moments of my days. So my goal is to finish this project over the next 8 weeks.

Forest Snowfall

I started this Country Cottage Needleworks chart, Forest Snowfall, about two years ago. It's been tucked away for far too long, and I would love to complete it in time to display during the early winter months.

In my mind’s eye, I can see myself gently packing away the festive decorations after Twelfth Night, the house quiet once more after the joyful flurry of the holidays. In their place, I hang this wintry stitched scene—a quiet nod to the season, full of charm and stillness.

There is something so comforting about those first weeks of January, when the world slows down and home becomes a sanctuary once again. This sweet little chart reminds me that the return to simple domestic rituals are their own kind of celebration.

Changing Seasons

This was a more recent start. Autumn is by far my favourite season—there’s something quite magical about it. Outside, nature begins to slow down. Leaves shift from summer green to rich golds and russets, a final glorious flourish before the stillness of winter, when all things rest and gather strength for the season to come.

Yet even in this slowing, there are new beginnings. The rhythm of the year turns toward harvest celebrations and the quiet anticipation of winter festivities. It’s a season of both stillness and expectancy—a slowing and a quickening.

This chart was designed by Durene Jones for the World of Cross-Stitching Magazine. You can buy this design from her Etsy Shop.

I love to decorate my home for autumn with natural items gathered from nature, warm blankets, autumn scented candles and of course, my homespun stitchery's. I try to make something new for my home each year and I think this little sampler would be a great addition.

Starting a Simple Stitching Practice This Summer

What I love about this hobby is that you don’t need to be an expert or have a drawer full of supplies to begin. A simple hoop, a few threads, a free chart found on Pinterest, or better yet, treat yourself to a lovely cross-stitch magazine packed with charts and advice ... is all it takes to open the door to hours of peaceful creativity. And in a world that often moves too fast, returning to these traditional crafts can feel like reclaiming a bit of quiet joy.

As I settle into this slower rhythm, needle and thread in hand, I’m reminded that creativity doesn’t need to be grand or complicated to be meaningful. There’s such comfort in the familiar motion of stitching, in watching something beautiful emerge little by little. It’s a quiet, grounding practice—one that draws me back to the heart of home, to peaceful winter afternoons and the gentle blessing of making something with my own hands.

So why not pick up your needle and thread, find a quiet corner, and begin? You might just rediscover a deep and quiet joy waiting to unfold, one stitch at a time.

The Seasonal Home in Early Summer

2025-06-21T06:00:00.010+01:00

With today’s golden light and long hours, it feels safe to say—summer has well and truly arrived.

In our homeschooling days, I used to share a monthly series on seasonal themes and plans. They were simple collections of ideas, rooted in the rhythm of the year, which guided our learning and helped shape our days at home. Those posts held everything from nature study to liturgical observances—threads that wove beauty and meaning into the fabric of our family life.

Time, of course, moves on. But lately, I’ve felt the nudge to revisit that practice—this time through the lens of a homemaker.

Observing the seasons has always helped me to slow down and notice. It gently lifts my eyes from the rush of the world and turns my heart back to what matters most: faith, family, home, and the quiet beauty of the present moment. It reminds me to give thanks for what I already have, rather than dwell on what I don’t. And when we live with a heart of gratitude, peace often follows.

In a world that feels increasingly hurried—and one that seems, at times, to drift far from the Christian and traditional values I hold dear—I find great comfort in tending to what I can influence. My home. My heart. The atmosphere I cultivate each day.

So, as this new season begins, I’m turning my gaze once again to God’s goodness, and asking Him to help me keep His priorities at the centre of my days.

Biblical Encouragement for the Homemakers Heart

The past six or seven years have brought a steady stream of changes—some welcome, others challenging. It’s been a long season of transition, and I’ve often tried to navigate it all in my own strength. But if I’ve learned anything, it’s that my wisdom is sorely limited! So this month, I’m intentionally laying things down at the Lord’s feet—choosing to trust Him not only with the big concerns, but also with the everyday details of life at home.

Here are a few gentle practices I’ll be focusing on this June—simple rhythms that help lift my eyes heavenward and steady my heart.

🌿 Enjoy Creation

June offers so many beautiful glimpses of God’s handiwork. I’ll be making a point to step outside, feel the sun on my skin, listen to the birdsong, and simply notice. As Psalm 19:1 reminds us,

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.”

🕊 Practice Hospitality

There is something sacred about opening our homes, even in simple ways. A pot of tea, a slice of cake, a welcoming heart. Hebrews 13:2 gently encourages us:

“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”

✨ Rest and Refresh

In a culture that praises busyness, making space for true rest is a spiritual act. This month, I’ll be carving out quiet moments to simply be—to rest in the presence of the One who calls me His own.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” —Matthew 11:28

Early Summer Homnemaking Tasks

Each season offers its own rhythms in the home. Here are a few June-specific tasks I’m gently weaving into my days:

✨ Deep Clean & Declutter

Windows: Clean inside and out to let the summer light stream in. Don’t forget window screens!
Carpets & Rugs: Give them a good vacuum and spot-clean for freshness.

🌼 Outdoor Maintenance

Patios & Decks: Sweep, wash, or power-wash surfaces and freshen up outdoor furniture.
Garden & Lawn: Weed, mulch, trim, mow—and plant cheerful summer flowers or veg.
Gutters: Clear out debris to prepare for any summer downpours.

🍓 Kitchen Refresh

Fridge & Pantry: Wipe down shelves, check expiry dates, and make space for summer produce.
Grill Ready: Clean and prep the barbecue for sunny days ahead.
Freezer Meals: Start slowly stocking up with baked goods and pre-prepped meals—especially handy for busy or hot days.

Light & Lovely June Décor

Small seasonal touches can bring a sense of joy and freshness into our homes.

🌞 Light and Airy

Colours: Swap out deeper tones for whites, soft blues, and buttery yellows.
Fabrics: Choose breezy cottons or linens for bedding and cushions.

🌿 Nature Indoors

Fresh Flowers: A simple vase of daisies or sunflowers can completely lift a room.
Potted Greenery: Bring in a few leafy plants to add life and freshness.

🪟 Outdoor Living Spaces

Cosy Corners: Add cushions, throws, and even an outdoor rug to make patios or balconies inviting.
Lighting: Twinkling fairy lights or lanterns can create a magical atmosphere for evening relaxation.

🐚 Seasonal Accents

Coastal Vibes: Think driftwood, shells, or a nautical print here and there.
Wall Art: Swap in a few summer-themed pieces to reflect the season’s warmth and light.

Simple June Joys & Home Care

🍉 Summer Activities

Host a casual picnic, an impromptu BBQ, or a relaxed garden tea with loved ones.
Plan outdoor adventures—walks in nature, beach days, or countryside rambles.

🛠 Light Home Maintenance

Pest Check: Keep an eye out for seasonal critters and take preventative steps.
Smoke Alarms: A quick test gives peace of mind.
Irrigation: Adjust sprinkler or watering routines as the weather heats up.

And Finally...

Let June be a month of gentle purpose—a time to realign with what truly matters and to invite beauty into both our hearts and our homes. May we not be overwhelmed by to-do lists, but instead see each small act of homemaking as a quiet offering—an opportunity to reflect God’s care and goodness in the daily rhythms of life.

And as always, may our homes be places of peace, our hearts tuned to grace, and our eyes lifted to the One who holds all seasons in His hands.

How To Get Started With Nature Study

2025-06-18T06:00:00.001+01:00

As a long-time Charlotte Mason homeschooling mum, I've been reflecting on the many rich elements that shaped our learning journey over the years. Among them, nature study has stood out as a quiet yet powerful thread—one that not only nourished our understanding of science, but helped form lifelong relationships with the natural world.

In our home, nature study became more than a subject; it became a way of seeing. It even played a part in inspiring my eldest daughter to pursue a career as a botanical illustrator—proof that the seeds you plant in those early days can bear beautiful, lasting fruit.

Why Nature Study Matters

At its heart, nature study is simple: it's about spending time outdoors, observing, and forming a connection with God's creation. It lays a natural foundation for more formal science lessons down the line, but just as importantly, it teaches attention, wonder, and reverence.

Yet, many parents feel unsure about where or how to begin. If that's you, take heart—this post is for you.

Step-by-Step with Charlotte Mason

Charlotte Mason encouraged families to spend regular, unhurried time outdoors—at least once a week. Each family member should have a simple nature notebook for recording observations, which may take the form of sketches, written notes, watercolours, quotes, or poems.

She championed long hours outside, even in winter, because she understood that nature itself is a master teacher. Children naturally tune in to the patterns of the world around them when they have the time and freedom to explore it. They learn best through observation—watching patiently until they come to know the habits of bees, ants, dragonflies, and spiders.

As Charlotte wisely put it: "Never be within doors when you can rightly be without."

Letting Go of Pressure

One of the most freeing aspects of the Charlotte Mason approach is that you don't need to be an expert. In fact, she cautioned against doing too much talking or 'teaching'. Let nature do the speaking. Your role is to gently facilitate by making time, showing delight, and occasionally pointing out something especially lovely.

You don't need to know all the answers either. In our home, we often turned to Anna Botsford Comstock's Handbook of Nature Study to learn together. The joy is in the shared discovery.

Charlotte reminds us: "By-and-by he will learn the bearing of facts with which he is already familiar... a very different thing from learning the reason why of facts which have never come to his notice."

Where to Begin

Nature study doesn’t require anything elaborate. Start by heading outdoors together, journals in hand, or bring something home from your walk to draw or explore more deeply. If you’re looking for guidance, I highly recommend Karen Andreola’s A Charlotte Mason Companion or her delightful narrative A Pocketful of Pinecones—a gentle, story-based introduction to implementing nature study.

Favourite Supplies

Here are some tried-and-true resources we’ve used for years:

A set of 12 half-pan watercolour paints — one per child lasts for years!
Square Watercolor Journal's — These are my personal favourite. They have lovely thick pages perfect for watercolour
Anna Botsford Comstock's Handbook of Nature Study — a foundational investment used weekly in our home
Outdoor Hour Challenges — free, seasonal step-by-step nature study lessons from Homeschool Nature Study

If you’re just starting out, begin with the "Getting Started" section of Homeschool Nature Study. It’s full of gentle encouragement and practical tips.

Final Thoughts

I hope this post has given you the courage to simply begin. Don’t let lack of confidence in your drawing or scientific knowledge hold you back. Your children don’t need perfection—they need presence. And you might just find yourself learning and growing right alongside them.

Let this be the year you embrace nature study. Go outdoors, be still, and wonder. You never know where it might lead—perhaps even to the heart of a future naturalist, a scientist, or a botanical artist in your own home.

Here’s to the journey, and all the beauty it brings.

Homeschool Seaside Nature Nature Study, Living Books, and Nature Journal Pages

2025-06-16T06:00:00.001+01:00

Summer is the perfect season for a seaside nature study—though, in truth, the coastline offers treasures in every weather and time of year. Some of our most fascinating finds have come after a blustery winter’s storm, when the sea gives up secrets tucked away beneath the waves.

This post is a glimpse into our homeschooling days, which I thought would be lovely to revisit and share. And if, like us, your formal homeschooling chapter has closed, take heart—your learning doesn’t have to end. As an amateur naturalist, I still delight in observing the shifting seasons, keeping a personal nature journal, and discovering the quiet beauty in the everyday. It’s a wonderful way to slow down, reconnect with the rhythm of the year, and simply breathe.

So come with me, back to a time when we lived just a stone’s throw from the shore. Let’s wander together down a winding coastal path to a seaweed-strewn beach, and see what secrets lie waiting in the rock pools…

Nature study, if you are not careful, can fall by the wayside (as can composer and artist study) in favour of exam subjects.

If these things are important to you then you simply have to plan them in. There is no need to lose the joy of learning just because you are homeschooling a high schooler.

I confess that our own nature/composer/artist studies have been sporadic at best this year and we can definitely feel the difference in the joy of learning as a result. So it is with a determination that Fridays will once again be set aside, as it always has been in our home, for these and other studies.

I believe that good living books can be enjoyed at any age.

My grandmother and I share that simple joy that is picking up a Beatrix Potter/AA Milne/Kenneth Grahame/Jill Barklem, and a myriad of others, book. I really don't see why, for the pure joy of reading these beautiful books, you would neglect to enjoy them because they are aimed at younger readers.

So for the pure joy of it, my daughter and I are enjoying reading Enid Blyton's 'Nature Lovers Book'. Because it is a living book it is instructional although it is our field guides and observational skills that we turn to as a matter of course.

Today I had planned for us to take a walk to the beach and see what we could find. We started by reading from the 'Nature Lovers Book'. It gave us a starting point on what to look out for which was quite useful as we have not done a marine nature study before. We learnt throughout reading about various shells and seaweeds that we could possibly expect to find - a great starting block.

The footpath down to the beach is just at the end of the lane, then it's a 1/4 mile walk down to the beach.

Once there we found copious amounts of kelp and seaweed. Immediately we were able to identify three different types based on our reading. If we had not read that "children's" story we would have identified a whole lot of nothing. Are you seeing the value of good living books being ageless yet?

We found Oar Seaweed [Laminaria digitata], Sea Lettuce, a Kelp Holdfast which we identified at home after a bit of research, and some Bladder Wrack which we had read about in our reading too.

We found 3 of the 5 different shells mentioned in our reading...

Whelks, Limpets and Periwinkles.

We learnt that 'Whelks' is a generic name given to sea snails and the shells can vary drastically.

We even found skate egg cases amongst the seaweed! Another thing that was mentioned in the reading so we had a huge amount of learning and discovering in today's lesson.

We brought all beach-combing treasures home to document in our nature journals. My daughter simply printed off the photographs and wrote a narration in her journal as she really does not like drawing or painting. I've mentioned that here before. For years I insisted she draw, but really, the joy was not there for her. Last year I decided that I would rather have her enjoy engaging with nature and keep a journal that works for her. So that's what we do.

I, on the other hand, love keeping a nature journal as you know. So I sat down to a good two hours of recording our finds...

When we lived in South Africa, we were literally only a mile from the beach. Beach-combing in all weathers and searching rock pools was a weekly activity. I hadn't realised until today how much I miss that! Now that we live so close to the ocean I am looking forward to picking up our beachy pursuits once more.

The Myth of Romanticising Your Life - Finding Real Joy in the Ordinary

2025-06-15T06:00:00.025+01:00

Have you seen the term “romanticise your life” cropping up all over social media?

I confess—I was baffled. The idea seemed innocuous until I dived deeper, watching well-crafted videos and influencers living out unbelievably curated “slow lives.” Honestly? It feels like nonsense.

The Social Media Illusion

Yes, romanticising your life means cherishing the beauty in everyday moments—that I understand deeply.

If you've followed Under an English Sky, you'll know I champion mindfulness and seasonal awareness. But now it feels like that simple appreciation is being packaged as something to "attain" rather than authentically lived out in the small moments of every day life.

I kid you not, some of the things I have seen are just absurd: a fruit-based milky tea topped with dried rose petals (apparantly called 'moon tea') or full Victorian dress-ups and live ducklings swimming in kitchen sinks. It feels like yet another social media mirage—practiced aesthetics overshadowing true contentment.

Contentment Is Deeper Than Aesthetics

Our truest peace doesn’t come from Pinterest/Instagram/YouTube‑worthy scenes—it comes from something deeper and more enduring. As a Christian, my joy is rooted in my relationship with the Lord, not in curated scenery.

Real contentment means being genuinely satisfied—with our homes, our simple belongings, and yes, even our imperfect little cherubs. Nostalgia for “simpler times” often overlooks real hardships such as grinding labour, disease, premature death, poverty. Romanticising doesn’t erase those realities.

Slow Living Today Is an Attitude, Not a Dress Code

A slow, intentional life is still very much achievable in 2025. It’s about your mindset—pausing, choosing what matters, and sometimes saying no to good things to make room for the best ones.

A personal example: this week, I skipped the dishwasher and handwashed instead. I stood at my sink, sudsy water around the dishes, gazing out at:

A rambling rose nearing the end of its bloom
Birds pecking at seed beneath the feeder
Foxgloves dropping spent flowers as seedpods form

That quiet moment through my kitchen window filled me with unexpected joy. It wasn’t about how it looked—it was about how it felt.

Isn’t Romanticising About Deeper Meaning?

The phrase taps into something universal—a longing to reject superficiality and embrace authenticity, simplicity, and connection—the very depths we feel placed in our hearts by our Creator. That’s beautiful. But chasing it through staged aesthetics? That’s another story.

Authentic Living Over Aesthetic Living

Yes, I invite you to romanticise your life—but not the way influencers do.

Pause. Notice. Handwash dishes with eyes open to God’s tiny masterpieces in your garden. Let ordinary moments draw you closer to gratitude and grace.

Because real romance occurs not in perfectly lit feed visuals but in the quiet, soul‑rooted moments of authentic living.

Traditional Skills for an Authentic, Anchored Life

If you're seeking a more grounded and authentic way of living, consider reintroducing simple, traditional skills into your days.

Baking bread by hand, tending a modest garden, preserving seasonal fruits, sewing or mending garments, or even writing in a journal with pen and paper—all of these practices reconnect us to rhythm, intention, and the satisfaction of making something with our own hands.

These aren't just quaint pastimes; they're quiet acts of resistance against a rushed and hyper-digital world. They're reminders that we are capable, creative, and custodians of beauty in our homes.

A Gentle Invitation

So instead of striving to make your life look romantic, why not choose to truly live it? Breathe deeply in the ordinary. Turn your heart to gratitude. Embrace quiet acts that bring peace, not performance.

Whether it's a homemade loaf cooling on the counter, the scent of lavender on your fingertips from a morning in the garden, or a moment of stillness by the sink, let these be your offerings of joy. Not for the camera, not for the crowd—but for your soul, and before the Lord. Because true beauty—the kind that endures—is found not in aesthetics, but in a life lived fully, faithfully, and with love.

Beginning Again: Reclaiming Your Quiet Time with the Lord

2025-06-12T06:00:00.001+01:00

There’s something deeply comforting about beginning again. I often think of how the seasons gently turn, always arriving in their own time, never rushed—never scolded for being late. And perhaps, our hearts are much the same. They, too, move in seasons. Some are fruitful and focused. Others—well, they drift a little. And that’s okay.

I’ve found myself in one of those drifting places lately. The quiet rhythm of meeting with the Lord each morning had slowly unravelled. Not in a dramatic way—just a slow slipping of intention. The Bible sat unopened on my desk. The journal gathered dust. And my soul began to feel it.

But here’s what I’ve also found: the Lord never turns away. His invitation to come away with Him remains open, unchanging. No matter how far we’ve wandered, we are always welcome to begin again.

A Gentle Return

I’ve started to return, slowly. Not with strict routines or grand intentions. Just small, meaningful moments—like lighting a candle before the house stirs, whispering a prayer as the kettle boils, or sitting quietly by the window with an open Bible and expectant heart.

No guilt. No pressure. Just grace.

I think that’s the key, really. Coming back to the Lord isn’t about performance. It’s about presence. It’s about remembering who we are, and whose we are. And often, it begins with one small choice—a simple act of turning our heart back towards Him.

Little Touches of Beauty

As I ease back into a rhythm, I’ve been drawn to creating a little space that feels peaceful and lovely—a quiet corner with my Bible, a notebook, and my favourite mug. Nothing fancy, just comforting.

A candle flickering nearby. A vase of garden flowers. Even the gentle hum of a hymn playing softly. These small touches speak deeply to my spirit, drawing me into rest and worship without words.

It reminds me that beauty and faith are not separate things. They are woven together in the fabric of daily life, gently pointing us back to the Creator.

When Quiet Time Isn’t Quiet

If you’re in a season where quiet is a luxury, I understand. I’ve had many of those years—years of nappies and homeschooling, full sinks and full hearts. And I know that quiet time with the Lord doesn’t always look like sitting serenely with tea and Scripture.

Sometimes it’s praying while pegging out the washing. Sometimes it’s listening to Scripture on audio while doing the ironing. Sometimes it’s just pausing in the middle of a messy kitchen to whisper, “Lord, help me.”

And that counts. More than we know.

No Shame, Only Grace

If, like me, you’ve been feeling a little distant, I hope you’ll hear this: you are not behind. You haven’t failed. You are simply human. And you are beloved.

There’s no need to fix everything overnight. Just begin again. One verse, one prayer, one moment of stillness at a time. The Lord is already there, waiting to meet you.

With You in the Starting Again

So today, I begin again. Not perfectly, but prayerfully. With a quiet heart and open hands. If you’re in a similar place, know you are not alone. We can begin again together.

May this be a gentle season of remembering, of drawing near, of basking once more in the beauty of His presence.

With love and grace,

The Gentle Art of Returning to the Rhythms of Home

2025-06-08T15:16:00.002+01:00

As I purposfully seek to return to the gentle rhythms of home, I find myself drawn back to the age-old rituals that tether us quietly to place, season, and purpose.

There’s a particular kind of peace in the doing—kneading dough, preserving fruit, watching something transform through the work of your hands.

The Joy of Strawberry Jam

This past week, the supermarkets have been overflowing with strawberries. While going to a pick-your-own farm is a lovely activity to do, it is not always practical to fit in around the other tasks and commitments of everyday life.

So I am taking advantage of the bumper berry crop that is coming through our supermarkets at the moment and popped a large tray of strawberries into my shop this week, earmarked to be transformed into some delicious homemade jam.

There is something wonderfully satisfying about watching those ruby red berries yield their sweetness, filling the kitchen with the scent of early summer.

I used a simple recipe—just fruit, sugar, and a touch of lemon juice—and found the process calming, contemplative even. There’s a kind of ministry in the making of jam: the careful stirring, the watching and waiting, the little ceremony of pouring it into warm jars.

It felt like a declaration that the slower, domestic arts still have a place in a world that rushes on. A quiet protest, perhaps, or maybe just a sweet way of coming home to oneself.

The Sourdough Saga (So Far)

Now, not all my domestic adventures have gone quite so smoothly. I’ve been attempting to grow a sourdough starter. Let’s just say... it's been more of a lesson in humility than success thus far.

Despite following trusted instructions, keeping it warm, feeding it regularly, and peering at it far too often, the starter remains stubbornly uninspired.

Still, I’m not giving up. There’s something beautiful about the process of trying, failing, and trying again. Perhaps the Lord teaches us perseverance in such things—the quiet resolve to keep at the good work, even when the fruit is slow in coming.

Learning New (Old) Skills

One of the things I love most about homemaking is that there is always something new to learn. Whether it’s preserving, baking, mending, or growing—there’s a lifelong education to be found within these walls. In embracing traditional skills, we’re not just reviving lost arts; we’re anchoring ourselves and our families to rhythms that nourish body and soul.

I find that the more I lean into this way of living, the more connected I feel—to creation, to my family, to the Creator Himself. These are not “small” tasks; they are sacred ones. There is wisdom in the work of our hands, and joy in growing capable and resourceful in our own homes.

A Freezer Full of Cinnamon Buns

Another small victory this week was in the form of cinnamon buns. I’ve been experimenting with making a batch, allowing them to prove, and then freezing them in their ready-to-bake state.

The idea is to be able to take them out and bake from frozen—fresh buns, no fuss. I confess, this is not my own brilliant idea! Rather, it comes after a visit to a beautiful farm shop in North Wales.

Along with their lovely ready-meal selection, they had tubs of loose ready-to-bake frozen pastries. Seeing that inspired me to build up my own stash of ready-to-bake pastries.

It works wonderfully. On slower mornings or when guests are visiting, I can simply pop a tray into the oven, and the scent of cinnamon and dough fills the house as though I’ve been baking for hours. It feels like a gift to my future self. I highly recommend giving it a try if you're looking to bring a little more ease into your baking routine.

There’s a loveliness in these quiet returns—to homemade things, to hopeful beginnings, to imperfect attempts that still bring joy. Whether it’s jam bubbling on the stove or dough rising by the window, each task is an invitation to re-root ourselves in the steady beauty of home.

So if, like me, you’re sensing the pull to re-engage with the gentle arts of the home, follow it. Make the jam. Bake the bread (or at least try). Honour the ordinary and sacred alike. There’s no rush—just rhythm.

With warmth and jam-scented blessings,
Shirley x

A Journaling Freebie For You

2025-05-24T19:25:00.009+01:00

Hello my lovely friends!

The weather has finally broken in our neck of the woods and we have had some lovely rain which is a welcome relief for the garden. I have to say that I have missed the lack of rain! I love listening to it falling and the way the earth smells as the rain hits the soil. Don't get me wrong, I have loved all this sunny weather. It means we have had no slug issues this year and it looks like we are going to have a bumper strawberry and apple crop this year!

I've noticed that the Elderflower is out already so I plan on taking a walk along the nearby canel tomorrow after church to collect flower heads so that I can make a lovely Elderflower Cordial, a seasonal activity that I love to do each year.

Following my post earlier this week (Finding Your Way Back Home), I have continued to focus on the little things that lead me back to a life of peace, contentment, purpose and grace. I have realised that it is easier said than done as we humans tend to operate on the established 'tracks' forged in our brains.

Charlotte Mason spoke about the physical tracks that are created in our brains when we establish a new habit. It is what makes breaking a bad habit so difficult. We physically have to choose to take a more purposful course of action and do so repeatedly until a new 'track' is forged. This is definantly a topic I will come back to on this blog.

I have always found the process of journaling through any challenging times to be very helpful. It helps me to take swirling washing machine of thoughts in hand and pick them out one by one to create some sort of order. So I created this little journal with 10 prompts to help explore a gentle return to the slower and sacred rhythm to my home and life.

The prompts are designed to encourage reflection, to pause and return to the heart of your home and heart. I am using one prompt a day to allow time to really ponder on the topic and examin my heart.

I am finding the process so theraputic and helpful that I thought you may like to download my A Gentle Return Journal to use if you wish. This is a resource aimed at the Christian woman so I appreciate that it will not be helpful to everyone. But if you would like to use it please do.

I'd love to hear if you are in a season of change or just pondering on what it is that truly brings you peace, contentment and joy. Perhaps you have already travelled this road and have some thoughts that would be good to consider. Please do let me know in the comments.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and I shall see you back here next week.

Finding Your Way Back Home: A Letter to the Weary Homemaker

2025-05-20T10:00:00.003+01:00

For the Christian woman who longs to return to a life of peace, purpose, and grace

I walked past a quilt top that I first pieced together in 2017. It still is not finished! I have started hand quilting the top but the fact that it has taken me 8 years to get to this point bothered me.

This prompted me to think about when the last time was that I created anything at all. When last did I finish a knitting project? When last did I spend some time enjoying a bit of cross-stitch or excitedly plan out a new project of some sort?

I have Pinterest boards brimming with ideas and projects that at some point inspired me, things I wanted to try my hand. I remembered back to the days when when I was most certainly an inspired homemaker.

When Home Doesn’t Feel Like Home Anymore

There comes a time in many women’s lives when the joy of homekeeping fades into the background. Perhaps you're walking through grief, burnout, motherhood’s exhausting seasons, or simply the noise of a fast-paced world. You look around your home and no longer feel inspired. The laundry piles up. The meals are rushed. The creativity you once poured into everyday life has run dry.

If that’s you, dear sister, you are not alone.

I've been pondering this thought for the last week and awoke with a sense of clarity on Sunday morning. My decline is closley tied up with the start of my degree studies. I don't regret my studies as it was a season of accomplishing something that I did not think I was capable of. I'm glad I did it, but it came at a cost that I didn't even realise I was paying.

A Gentle Art Forgotten

I have always loved the gentle art of homemaking and there was a time when tending the home was more than chores and checklists. For me, as for many other women over the annals of time, it was a sacred rhythm—baking bread with joy, wiping counters while praying over family, folding laundry as an act of love. I remember being delighted in creating a haven: candles glowing, scripture on the wall, beauty in the small things, and I miss that.

Life has a way of crowding out the quiet.

Maybe like me, you’ve lost that rhythm. Maybe you feel you’ve failed. But friend, hear this truth: you are not too far gone to return.

The Invitation Back

God is always calling us back—not to perfection, but to peace. Not to performance, but to presence.

He gently invites us to slow down. To light a candle. To clear a corner of the house. To make a pot of tea and open our Bibles. To begin again, not in our own strength, but in His.

“In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and trust shall be your strength.” – Isaiah 30:15

Rediscovering Peace in Small Things

You don’t have to overhaul your life. You simply have to begin again—with Him, and that is precisly what I have started doing. Here are a few small things I have started doing each day as I rediscover peace in my homemaking.

Start with One Room

Choose a space that matters to you. Clear it, tend it, pray over it. Let it become a sanctuary.

Anchor Each Day in the Word

Open your Bible before your to-do list. Let scripture be the first voice you hear in the morning.

Create a Ritual of Beauty

Light a candle as you clean. Play worship music while you cook. Make small acts of service feel sacred again.

Keep a Homemaker’s Prayer Journal

Write down your prayers for your home, your family, and your heart. Invite God into every ordinary task.

Plan to be Creative

I spent a wonderful afternoon going through my Pinterest boards and craft books. I have picked out a few creative and seasonal projects that I want to get started with right away and ordered the materials I need to do them. To foster creativity you have to be creative. Scrolling through IG my be inspiring in the moment but it is no replacement for setting aside time to work with your hands on something that brings you joy. So make sure that you plan some time out each week to spend on something you have always wanted to try or make.

The Truth About Worth and Calling

You are not just a housekeeper. You are a keeper of hearts, rhythms, refuge, and love. You are called by God to create spaces that reflect His peace and presence. Your home, however imperfect, can become a holy ground.

And even if you’ve wandered far from that calling as I feel I have, the way back is paved with grace.

“She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness.” – Proverbs 31:27

But she also knows when to rest in the Lord, and let Him restore what’s been lost.

A Prayer for the Woman Who Wants to Return

Lord,
I am tired, and I’ve lost my way.
Remind me that I don’t have to earn Your approval.
Teach me how to tend my home with joy again.
Restore my heart.
Renew my spirit.
Lead me gently back to Your peace.
Amen.

You Can Begin Again—Today

You don’t need a perfect plan. You just need to respond to the invitation: to come home. Home to the heart of God. Home to the calling He placed within you. Home to the quiet joy of caring, creating, and keeping.

Start small. Start slow. Start now.

And know this: every step you take is watched with love by the One who calls you beloved.

The Kitchen Sink and the Secret Garden

2025-05-18T17:17:00.010+01:00

A Window into the Wild

From the vantage point of my kitchen sink, I’ve been granted a quiet but intimate view into what I fondly call The Secret Garden — my modest back garden that comes alive with quiet magic. As I stand washing dishes in warm, sudsy water, my eyes drift beyond the glass to catch the antics of the creatures that share this space with me.

There’s the robin, ever bold, defending his winter territory with song and spirit. Blackbirds busy themselves among the leaf litter, tossing it aside with vigorous scratching in search of earthworms. One moment they’re still, head cocked to listen, and the next—beak to soil—they're pulling a worm from the earth.

And then, there’s the squirrel: a comical, daring acrobat, leaping from branch to feeder with impressive agility. I’ve even had the pleasure of watching a male pheasant strut across the frosty lawn, his entourage of females foraging dutifully at his heels.

Twilight Visitors

As night falls, the Secret Garden reveals more of its hidden guests. I’ve often found myself holding my breath at the sight of a fox, its russet fur glowing under moonlight, as it moves with silent precision across the garden. These are the moments that feel truly enchanted.

Hedgehogs, on the other hand, draw squeals of delight and cries of, “There’s a hedgehog in the garden—come quick!” The dishes are quickly forgotten as we dash outside to observe our prickly visitor snuffling in the shrubbery. We often offer a little dish of cat food, which is gobbled up with noisy gratitude.

The Unseen Secret Garden

I often wonder what goes on when I’m not looking—when I’m not at the window, or the garden is cloaked in the silence of night. It’s this quiet mystery that makes the idea of a Secret Garden feel so real.

No wonder so many amateur wildlife lovers set up garden cameras to catch glimpses of this unseen world. The thought of what remains hidden is almost as magical as what’s observed.

How to Create a Wildlife-Friendly Garden in Winter

If you want to transform your outdoor space into a haven for local wildlife, especially during the harsh UK winter months, here are a few simple, effective steps you can take:

1. Keep Bird Feeders Stocked

Birds expend more energy in winter, so keeping feeders full helps them survive. Use a mix of seeds, fat balls, and suet to attract different species.

2. Leave Leaf Litter Undisturbed

Resist the urge to tidy every corner—piles of leaves provide essential shelter for insects, frogs, and hedgehogs.

3. Scatter Hedgehog and Ground-Forager Food

Sprinkle food such as hedgehog biscuits or cat food under hedges and shrubs where ground dwellers feel safest.

4. Provide Fresh Water

Leave shallow dishes of clean water in sheltered spots. In winter, check daily to ensure they haven’t frozen over. My daughter made this beautiful mussle-shell flower which I fill with water. It is shallow enough for the instects to safely drink without the danger of drowning.

5. Build a Simple Insect Hotel

Create a cosy hideaway by piling twigs, bark, and leaves in a quiet corner of your garden. You can also make bug hotels from old plant pots and bamboo canes.

Complementary Crafts and Learning Activities

Make the most of your own Secret Garden by pairing wildlife-watching with creative and educational projects, especially great for children or seasonal home educators.

✦ Garden Wildlife Journal

Start a nature diary to record daily or weekly wildlife sightings from the kitchen window. Encourage drawing pictures of birds, sketching leaf shapes, or noting animal behaviours.

✦ DIY Bird Feeders

Use pinecones, peanut butter, and seeds to create natural bird feeders. Or recycle yoghurt pots and string for simple hanging feeders.

✦ Make a Hedgehog House

Use old wooden crates or boxes to build a hedgehog shelter. Tuck it into a quiet corner of the garden and line it with straw or dry leaves.

✦ Create Wildlife ID Cards

Print or draw simple identification cards for local garden birds, mammals, and insects. Keep them near the window for easy reference.

✦ Storytelling Prompt: The Secret Garden Watchers

Encourage children (or adults!) to write short stories or poems inspired by the animals they see—or imagine what goes on in the garden at night when no one is watching.

Closing Thoughts

Whether it’s the bold chirp of a robin or the quiet rustle of a hedgehog in the dark, the Secret Garden is always teeming with life—even when we can’t see it. The view from the kitchen sink has taught me that sometimes, the simplest moments are the most magical.

This season, I hope you’ll take a moment to look out of your own window and discover the secret world that might be hiding just beyond the glass.

An Old Soul

2025-04-07T06:00:00.004+01:00

I am an old soul and often feel like I have been planted in the wrong time in history. I would have been happy to not have the pressures of modern technology and all that they bring.

To see mans lust for power, money and other things spewed out morning, noon, and night over the radio and television is enough to make anyone dispair.

So I make time to escape to the lands and worlds created in the pages of books and sometimes, those lands and worlds are grasped and turned into television productions. I've recently come accross the period drama inspired by the Candleford books written by Flora Thomspson - Lark Rise to Candleford.

I am hooked. I'm tempted to binge watch it, but then it will be over all too soon. So I'll resist the urge and instead savour it slowly, escaping to a world that had it's own pressures but maintained a sense of humanity and care for the people that were neighbours.

My daughter made herself a fantastic 2025 moodboard background for her desktop computer...

It got me to thinking that I want to do one myself. To spend a bit of time thinking about the things that are important to you and thing about how and where you want to spend your time. I think it is such a good idea to have something that inspires you, to remind yourself what it is that is important. To see the beauty in the world rather than all the wickedness that is forced upon us on the one device, that I for one, spend a lot of time on given my work. Yes, I think I will take a leaf out of my daughters book and work on that this week.

The garden continues to flourish and I'm taking joy in spending time in the garden, planting, feeling grounded in the things that remain the same and have done for thousands of years, even though the world feels like an unsafe, ever-changing, and hostile place.

I was washing the dishes in the kitchen sink this morning when I spotted this little fellow having a drink from the garden pond. I paused and watched him for a while ...

He picked at the offerings that had fallen from the feeder thanks to a resident squirrel...

I am always amazed by the life that happens in our gardens while we are busy with our daily tasks. Most of it goes unseen. But if you take the time to pause and notice...you will be rewarded with these little cameo moments of lives been lived out by the small creaturs that make your garden their home.

Yes, we live in a very busy, loud, messy world. But we can find peace in the small things every day if we just choose to notice.

Wishing you all a wonderful week.

Ordinary Days

2025-04-04T17:46:00.004+01:00

It's been longer than I had intended since being here. I've thought about it a thousand times but March turned out to be a very busy and disruptive month.

You see, our house sale fell through yet again! Second time! This time, the person who was buying our buyers house pulled out, as a result, we lost our onward purchase.

Initially we were a bit sad but we know that everything happens for a reason and that God has always been and remains good! We relisted our property and sold it within days for significantly more than we had hoped for. This has opened up an opportunity for my husband embark on a new business venture so we look forward to seeing how that will come about.

In the meantime, we have decided to rent while we look for another property. It will also mean that we will be able to do away with any lengthy chains which has proved so problematic for us so far. By renting, we will be ready to move quickly once we find our new home.

So for the next few months, we are still in our lovely home which means there is no need to put off planting my vegetable seeds. Once they are big enough, they will go into pots so that when we do move, they can come with us.

Growing

I've got tomatoes, beetroot, peas, beans and courgettes growing on the windowsill. You can see how much they have grown in just a few short weeks since planting them.

I have also been growing new spring onions from a bunch of spring onions I bought at the grocery store. You simply trim the roots halfway and pop them into some potting soil. It is amazing at how well it works!

Reading

I mentioned in a previous post that I had resolved to only read 'real' books in 2025 so to that end, I applied for another library card and paid a visit to my local library.

It was lovely to be back in a place surrounded by books. I spent a lovely hour choosing my reads for the next 4 weeks. I am looking forward to diving into this pile of books! The only author I am familiar with in this collection is Alexander McCall Smith. The Agatha Christie book is about her life and characters, written by Cathy Cook. Agatha Christie is my favourtie author so I'm looking foward to seeing what the author has to say.

In the Kitchen

It seems like we are just not getting though our bananas very quickly these days so I have made a couple of dozen banana bread muffins. I have frozen them in batches and take out 6 at a time for us to enjoy with our tea and coffee mid morning or mid afternoon.

Around the Home

As we are staying in our home for a few more months, I unpacked the boxes that we had packed before Christmas. I now have all my receipe books back in use!

We are still enjoying our the new layout of our spring reshuffle. This space is working well as a dining room so I'm glad that we will get to enjoy it for a couple more months.

I have also reinstated our milk delivery. I had stopped this a week before we were supposed to complete on our sale way back in October. Given our luck with the sale I decided that I was no longer going to live in a state of flux - it's just too stressful. I'll stop the delivery when those papers have been signed and there is no turning back!

In the Garden

One of the good things about being in our house for another few months is that we get to watch the garden come back to life.

We build this garden from nothing and we love it so. It is a blessing to see it slowly come into it's own. At the moment, it is an explosion of yellow punctuated with the bright pinks from the tulips.

The Marsh Marigold seems to have come out of nowhere. One moment is was a compact mass of leaves hunkering down, and the next this...

The garden has responded well to the burst of warm weather we have been having. I've enjoyed hanging the washing outdoors to dry in the breeze and we have spent quite a bit of time pottering about the garden.

It is looking Easter Egg Hunt ready! Yes, even though our children are adults, they still enjoy a good old hunt. I think it's the free chocolate! Plans for Easter will be underway next week and I'm looking foward to turning my thoughts and heart back to the simple joys of observing the liturgical year and nuturing those who cross my threshold.

Anyhoo lovelies, I've prattled on for long enough today. Have a lovely weekend and I'll see you back here next week.