Today we have a wonderful guest: Sarah D. from @bookstacksandbarbells. Join us for this long conversation about weight training, dieting, and health.

DM her and mention that you heard her on our HearthKeepers Podcast, and she'll make sure you get an exclusive deal!

Show Notes:

• The complete Book of Home Organization: 200+ Tips and Projects by Toni Hammersley
• The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer
• God in the Dock by CS Lewis
• Surf Lessons: Stories of an Eastern Surfer by Earl Shores
• The Weight of Glory by CS Lewis
• Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of CS Lewis by Michael Ward

From thoughts on the long, dark days to the magic of the week between holidays to our thoughts on self-care, this is a fun conversation...or at least we had fun. Plus, our suggestions for Christmas movies and books. Merry Christmas, HearthKeepers!

Show Notes:

• The Complete Book of Home Organization: 200+ Tips and Projects by Toni Hammersley
• The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer
• The Nature of Autumn by Jim Crumley
• Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May
• Christmas with Anne and Other Holiday Stories by LMMontgomery

Sarah’s Favorite Christmas Movies:

1. Krampus
2. Gremlins
3. Christmas with the Kranks
4. Home Alone

Abby’s Favorite Christmas Movies:

1. White Christmas
2. Elf
3. Muppet’s Christmas Carol
4. Die Hard

Sarah’s Favorite Christmas Books:

1. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
2. Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn
3. Handel’s Messiah Family Advent Reader

Abby’s Favorite Christmas Books:

1. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
2. Old Christmas by Washington Irving
3. Letters from Father Christmas by JRR Tolkien
4. On Fairy-Stories by JRR Tolkien

Rest, recreation, and education are all important aspects of appropriate self-care. In this episode we'll discuss each in some detail. Show Notes:

• The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer
• GK Chesterton Quote: The home is not the one tame place in the world of adventure; it is the one wild place in the world of rules and set tasks.
• Something Wicked This Way Comes, Fahrenheit 451, Halloween Tree, and Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury
• One Look

 (Excuse the interruption in this episode. There was a windstorm messing with Abby’s internet. Consider it your intermission.)

Abby was so excited about this episode! Check it out to learn about why what we wear is important, pitfalls, thoughts on modesty, homemaker uniforms, and some basic style tips.

(Don't worry, Skaði was totally fine. She was just mad that she had to wait her turn in the favorite nesting box.)

Show Notes:

• The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer
• The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
• Image is Important
• To Dress or Not to Dress, That is the Question

• What Not to Wear by Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine
• The Curated Closet by Anuschka Rees

Welcome to Season 6, ladies! This season is all about self-care! Now if you're like Abby and you kinda cringe a bit when you hear that term, never fear. We're going to start by defining self-care, explaining what it is and what it isn't.

This is going to be a fun, dense season, so pour that cup of coffee or that bourbon, light those candles, and get cozy.

Show Notes:

• Rembrandt is in the Wind by Russ Ramsey
• The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer
• Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
• Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien
• Homemaker Chic
• The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• The Virtues Episode
• The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
• The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
• Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery

“Self-care is the practice of taking care of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of your life to promotehealth and wellness. The main goal of self-care is to prevent or control disease and preserve overall well-being through consistently taking care of various aspects of your health. Fora person to practice true self-care, they must use personal responsibility and self-reliance in a way that positively impacts their health in the current moment and the future. "(www.verywellhealth.com/what-is-self-care-5212781)

Today, we're wrapping up Season 5: Hospitality, as well as discussing our plans for Samhain and how we plan to utilize this cross-quarter day. We also had some visitors pop in at the end of the episode. If life isn't interrupted, are you even a homemaker?It's been a wonderful season with lots of beautiful guests. We've so enjoyed talking about hospitality in all its various forms with everyone. We hope you've enjoyed it too.

Show Notes:

• Little House in the Ozarks by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• Rembrandt is in the Wind by Russ Ramsey
• Watership Down by Richard Adams
• An Army at Dawn by Rick Atkinson
• October Dreams: A Celebration of Halloween edited by Richard Chizmar
• My Dear Hemlock by Tilly Dillehay
• The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis
• Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
• Summa Domestica: Order and Wonder in Family Living, Vol. 3, Housekeeping by Leila Lawler
• Over The Garden Wall
• Coraline Soundtrack
• Frugal Christmas

In today’s episode, Liz shares about Lifestyle and Responsive Hospitality. She’s had to learn to be casual, flexible, and ready to go when people have needs. She talks about what she keeps on hand and questions she asks, along with debriefing with her husband. From hosting in a small home, mistakes in meal choices, and going from a system to a flexible flow, this episode covers a lot of helpful ground.

Show Notes:

• Little House in the Ozarks by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• Rembrandt is in the Wind by Russ Ramsey
• GroupMe Daily Thanksgivings
• Simplified Organization: Learn to Love What Must be Done by Mystie Winkler
• Pumpkin Spice Simmer Pot: Pin on Air of the Castle
• The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
• Life in the In-Between: Facing Anxiety and Afflictions as Christians by Samuel D. Renihan
• Leaving Room Series

One of our goals for this season was to share a wide variety of hospitality. Emily Ward, our guest today, tells us what it is like to work in the Hospitality Industry, to practice hospitality on a professional level. There are lots of wonderful things we can learn about how to manage our work from some of the things Emily shares. We also have some fun “worst hotel” stories.

Show Notes:

• Rembrandt is in the Wind by Russ Ramsey
• Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More than They Expect by Will Guidara
• Lauren Parker’s Episode

What a wonderful conversation we had with Lauren Parker! This episode is full of heartfelt advice on hosting more formal events like Book Clubs, Showers, Evening Parties, and Tea Parties. Lauren shares about working with her kids, elevating the event, and what you might need on hand. She also gives lots of advice on how to be frugal in your hospitality.

Show Notes:

• The Nature of Autumn by Jim Crumley
• Welcome Home: A Cozy Minimalist Guide to Decorating and Hosting All Year Around by Myquillyn Smith
• The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by Jennifer Ryan
• October Dreams: A Celebration of Halloween edited by Richard Chizmar

Happy 1st Official Day of Autumn! In honor of the season, we're sharing a bonus episode going over using this time to bless our homes and families. We also have a special guest, Rachel Atterholt! She's going to share some of her thoughts about our Book Club Read: Simplified Organization by Mystie Winckler.

Rachel is a single homemaker, so her take on it is a little different. Join us over on GroupMe to join our Book Club!

We do apologize for how rough this recording is. We had quite a few technical difficulties. A big thanks to Andy for working so hard on it!Show Notes:

• Simplified Organization: Learn to Love What Must Be Done by Mystie Winckler
• What It is Like to Go to War by Karl Marlantes
• Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes
• Rachel’s Podcast: Cinelit
• Stargate Atlantis: A quick correction, Abby said the episodes where she fell in love with the show were at the end of Season 1. They are, in fact, episodes 9 and 10 of Season 1: The Eye and The Storm.
• Autumn Playlist: Of Shivering Leaves and Cozy Fires
• Over the Garden Wall
• The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix