Send me a one-way text about this episode! I'll give you a shout out or answer your question on a future episode.

I am chatting with homemaker, writer, podcaster and baker of bread, Abigail Dodds. I was so honored when Abigail agreed to come on The Art of Home and share her unique story of home with us. She’s been married to Tom for 23 years and they have 5 kids ranging from 21-12. In the margins of her vibrant Homelife, Abigail writes books and co-hosts the Home Fires podcast.

We chat about so many fun things and Abigail’s love of home and high view of God’s design for womanhood shines through the stories and the wisdom she shares. 

NOTES & LINKS

Connect with Abigail

• Home Fires Podcast | Apple | Spotify 
• Instagram @abigail_dodds

Books by Abigail

• (A)Typical Woman; Free, Whole, and Called in Christ
• Bread of Life; Savoring the All-Satisfying Goodness of Jesus through the Art of Bread Making
• A Student's Guide to Womanhood

Mentioned in This Episode:

S1:E1 Homemaker Portrait | Dana Schamberger Blog Post with 3 free recipes!

MM #9 | Read Great Books with Friends, Start a Virtual Book Club

Le Crueset Cookbook, Orange

Support the show

HOMEMAKING RESOURCES

• Private Facebook Group, Homemaker Forum
• Newsletter Archive
• JR Miller's Homemaking Study Guide

SUPPORT & CONNECT

• Review | Love The Podcast
• Contact | Voicemail |Instagram | Facebook | Website | Email
• Follow | Follow The Podcast
• Support | theartofhomepodcast.com/support

Send me a one-way text about this episode! I'll give you a shout out or answer your question on a future episode.

Last Monday I started a new series call “A Homemaker’s Summer”; three short episodes in which I am sharing some homemaking lessons God has taught me in summers past. 

Whether across the ocean or across the state, He always has new insights for me that shed light on and inspire my homemaking in every season. In the last episode I shared what climbing hills in the Alps taught me about my homemaking weaknesses. This week I will share what the Italians taught me about hospitality on a trip we took a couple of summers ago.

NOTES & LINKS

Episode Companion Blog Post with photos from my Italy trip, and my recipes for Instant Pot Risotto and Homemade Italian Seasoning Blend

Your Turn Questions

• How are you going out of your way to be helpful to others?
• In what ways can you anticipate and provide abundantly for the needs of those around you?
• Are you will to invite guests into the everyday fellowship of your family?

Support the show

HOMEMAKING RESOURCES

• Private Facebook Group, Homemaker Forum
• Newsletter Archive
• JR Miller's Homemaking Study Guide

SUPPORT & CONNECT

• Review | Love The Podcast
• Contact | Voicemail |Instagram | Facebook | Website | Email
• Follow | Follow The Podcast
• Support | theartofhomepodcast.com/support

Send me a one-way text about this episode! I'll give you a shout out or answer your question on a future episode.

I am chatting with homemaker, homeschooler, podcaster, and writer, Mystie Winckler, about her experience of keeping a home over the last 24 years. She candidly confesses that having come from a large family, she thought she knew everything she needed to know and that homemaking would be a piece of cake.

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that her assumptions and expectations were seriously challenged by reality and she spent the first decade or so spinning her wheels in frustration. 

But God met her in the place of chaos and shattered pride and faithfully showed her what homemaking was really about. It’s not about efficient systems that never fail, nor organized spaces that never get messy. Homemaking is about facilitating life and relationships so that the home reflects the light of the Gospel to a dark and dying world. 

As we chat about Mystie's lessons learned and her ministry to homemakers, we cover all the usual ground of her beginnings, influences, priorities, hospitality, tips and more. 

NOTES & LINKS

Episode Companion Blog Post with All Resources

Connect with Mystie

• Website | simplyconvivial.com
• Podcast | Simply Convivial Podcast
• YouTube @simplyconvivial
• Book | Simplified Organization; Learn to Love What Must Be Done
• Community | Convivial Circle

Mentioned in this Episode

Books by Edith Schaeffer | The Hidden Art of Homemaking and L'Abri

True Spirituality | Francis Schaeffer

Scrub Daddy Kitchen Sponge

Support the show

HOMEMAKING RESOURCES

• Private Facebook Group, Homemaker Forum
• Newsletter Archive
• JR Miller's Homemaking Study Guide

SUPPORT & CONNECT

• Review | Love The Podcast
• Contact | Voicemail |Instagram | Facebook | Website | Email
• Follow | Follow The Podcast
• Support | theartofhomepodcast.com/support

Send me a one-way text about this episode! I'll give you a shout out or answer your question on a future episode.

It’s summer time, and that often brings opportunities for holidays. Whether by the seaside or in the mountains, getting away from the everyday bustle of the home can allow for times of rest and reflection. I find, that if I am paying attention, the Lord will teach me lessons about life, family and even homemaking when I am far away from home. 

Today, I’d like to share with you one such lesson I learned while climbing hills in Switzerland a couple of summers ago. This article was originally published in Homemaker Happy Mail, August 18, 2023.

NOTES & LINKS

Companion Blog Post with Photos from My Trips Up & Down the Mountain

Your Turn Call to Action:

In what ways does homemaking feel like an impossible, uphill climb for you right now? 

Be as specific as possible, and if necessary, make a list. Pray over this list. Ask for wisdom to see God's plan and provision for your weaknesses. 

Support the show

HOMEMAKING RESOURCES

• Private Facebook Group, Homemaker Forum
• Newsletter Archive
• JR Miller's Homemaking Study Guide

SUPPORT & CONNECT

• Review | Love The Podcast
• Contact | Voicemail |Instagram | Facebook | Website | Email
• Follow | Follow The Podcast
• Support | theartofhomepodcast.com/support

Send me a one-way text about this episode! I'll give you a shout out or answer your question on a future episode.

I am so excited to share this conversation with you! Belinda, Amber and I draw from the Bible and our own experiences to cover the What, Why, When, Where and How of communicating with God through prayer.

Topics Covered:

• Dangers of Prayerlessness
• How Do We "Pray Without Ceasing"?
• Why Do We Pray in Jesus' Name?
• Persevering in Prayer when God Seems Silent
• Tips for Praying Scripture
• Prayer Aids & Resources
• Praying for Our Enemies & Those Who've Hurt Us

Notes & Links

Apply or Nominate to Be a Guest this Fall, deadline August 13, 2025!

Companion Blog Post with all Notes, Links and Prayer Helps

Mentioned in This Episode

• Matthew 6:9-13, The Lord's Prayer 
• Hour by Hour, shortened prayers from the Book of Common Prayer
• Every Moment Holy, by Rabbit Room Press, 3 Volumes of prayers for the ordinary events of daily life
• The Valley of Vision; A Collection of Puritan Prayers, edited by Author Bennett

Connect with Belinda & Amber

Website: confidentweakness.com

Prayer Study: Lord, Teach Us to Pray

Conversations in Psalms Podcast | Spotify | Apple

Allison's Guest Appearance on Conversations in Psalms | Psalm 27 | Psalm 34

Other AoH Episodes with Belinda and Amber

Deep Dive Bible Study with Belinda Dunn & Amber Davis, S23:Ep2

Homemaker Portrait | Amber Davis, S7:E6

Support the show

HOMEMAKING RESOURCES

• Private Facebook Group, Homemaker Forum
• Newsletter Archive
• JR Miller's Homemaking Study Guide

SUPPORT & CONNECT

• Review | Love The Podcast
• Contact | Voicemail |Instagram | Facebook | Website | Email
• Follow | Follow The Podcast
• Support | theartofhomepodcast.com/support

Send me a one-way text about this episode! I'll give you a shout out or answer your question on a future episode.

Inspired by our Deep Dive into Creating a Learning Environment in the Home with Lyndsey Mimnagh, I am continuing a series of short episodes to give you ideas for pursing Homemaker Culture, that is, filling your own soul with experiences that promote awe, wonder and an appreciation for beauty in the world around you.

 We’ve already discussed Cultivating a Creative Life and a Cultivating a Nature- Saturated Life. Today we will discuss cultivating an artful life.

In This Episode

• Why Study the Arts?
• How to Study the Arts; A Practical Approach to Art, Music & Poetry Study
• A Biblical for An Artful Life

Notes & Links

Companion Blog Post for this Episode-includes all links, Printable Guide for Fine Art Study

Mentioned in this Episode:

• Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists by Mike Venezia
• Getting to Know the World's Greatest Composers by Mike Venezia
• Philippians 4:8
• RC Sproul, "The Christian and Art," April 28, 2009, Ligonier.org

Support the show

HOMEMAKING RESOURCES

• Private Facebook Group, Homemaker Forum
• Newsletter Archive
• JR Miller's Homemaking Study Guide

SUPPORT & CONNECT

• Review | Love The Podcast
• Contact | Voicemail |Instagram | Facebook | Website | Email
• Follow | Follow The Podcast
• Support | theartofhomepodcast.com/support

Send me a one-way text about this episode! I'll give you a shout out or answer your question on a future episode.

In this episode, I am chatting with Bess Hawthorne, seasoned homemaker and host of the Come Over for Dinner Podcast, about her experience keeping a home for the last 29 years. She shares her journey of raising 5 kids and juggling some homeschooling and some working out side the home during those years. We cover all the usual ground of beginnings, influences, priorities, challenges and more—she has one of the best homemaker fail stories I’ve heard yet! 

Bess offers some great ideas for inviting kids into homemaking and she draws from her own experience and her podcast guests’ suggestions to give lots of hot tips for recipes and hospitality. 

NOTES & LINKS

Apply or Nominate a Friend to Be Out Guest this Fall! Deadline, August 13, 2025

Episode Companion Blog Post for all links, resources and recipes

Connect with Bess Podcast Website | Instagram 

Allison's Interview on Come Over for Dinner

Mentioned in this Episode

• Bible Reading Challenge
• Robert Murray M'Cheyne Reading Calendar (RMM)
• Bess' favorite homemaking resource: Technavorm Mocha Master KDT coffee pot
• Signature Dish: Chicken & Rice

Call to Action Homework

What ONE idea are you going to implement from today's episode? 

I'd love to hear about it! Send me a text using the link above, or send me an email,  or share with the FB group in Homemaker Forum. 

Support the show

HOMEMAKING RESOURCES

• Private Facebook Group, Homemaker Forum
• Newsletter Archive
• JR Miller's Homemaking Study Guide

SUPPORT & CONNECT

• Review | Love The Podcast
• Contact | Voicemail |Instagram | Facebook | Website | Email
• Follow | Follow The Podcast
• Support | theartofhomepodcast.com/support

Send me a one-way text about this episode! I'll give you a shout out or answer your question on a future episode.

In last Wednesday’s episode, Creating a Learning Environment in the Home with Lyndsey Mimnagh, I promised you some more information on nurturing your own love of learning through various practices of Homemaker Culture. 

I’ve already covered the basics of this concept in Monday Motivation #6, Homemaker Culture and Seasonal Creativity. I will link that below. 

In this episode, I’m going to expand on the topic, explaining how nature study and nature journaling can foster a love of learning and strengthen a sense of wonder in your own spirit. 

IN THIS EPISODE:

• Why? 7 Benefits of Nature Study for All
• How? Engaging the Senses to Optimize Your Nature Time, No Matter How Short
• Documenting & Learning with a Nature Journal or Cabinet of Curiosities
• Suggested Resources

NOTES & LINKS:

• Companion Blog Post with All Resources and Printable PDF Nature Study Guide

• Monday Motivation #6 | Homemaker Culture, Cultivating a Creative Life
• Homemaking Deep Dive | Creating a Learning Environment in the Home with Lyndsey Mimnagh

Support the show

HOMEMAKING RESOURCES

• Private Facebook Group, Homemaker Forum
• Newsletter Archive
• JR Miller's Homemaking Study Guide

SUPPORT & CONNECT

• Review | Love The Podcast
• Contact | Voicemail |Instagram | Facebook | Website | Email
• Follow | Follow The Podcast
• Support | theartofhomepodcast.com/support

Send me a one-way text about this episode! I'll give you a shout out or answer your question on a future episode.

Today, I am chatting with Lyndsey Mimnagh of Treehouse Schoolhouse, about how to create learning environments in the home. Whether you are a homeschool family or not, you will find value in this discussion. 

Topics:

• Lyndsey's Story: A few homemaker portrait basics and how her passion for preserving the wonder of childhood lead to home education and the birth of Treehouse Schoolhouse.
• How values shape the home environment and vice versa
• Practical suggestions for setting up environments that promote learning and wonder throughout the home
• Learning together through regular daily tasks
• Filling up Your Inspiration Tank: Cultivating a love of learning in yourself 

NOTES & LINKS

Mail Bag:

• "3 Reasons I am Still a Homemaker in the Empty Nest," by Susan Macias
• "An Empty Nester Homemaker and Her Immeasurable Value," by Christa Sterken

Connect with Lyndsey

Treehouseschoolhouse.com | Shop | Blog | Instagram |YouTube 

Discount Code for Art of Home Listeners: ARTOFHOME15 for 15% off your total order. One use per customer. Cannot be combined with other promos. Expires six months after episode release.

Recommended Resources:

• The Daily Rhythm Bundle
• Family Bible Curriculum, Vol 1, Rooted & Vol 2, Flourish
• Holiday Studies

Free Resources:

• Book Lists
• Homeschooling Helps

Support the show

HOMEMAKING RESOURCES

• Private Facebook Group, Homemaker Forum
• Newsletter Archive
• JR Miller's Homemaking Study Guide

SUPPORT & CONNECT

• Review | Love The Podcast
• Contact | Voicemail |Instagram | Facebook | Website | Email
• Follow | Follow The Podcast
• Support | theartofhomepodcast.com/support

Send me a one-way text about this episode! I'll give you a shout out or answer your question on a future episode.

Many times my guests and I have discussed the importance of having good tools to work with in the kitchen. As with any art form, the tools you use to practice the art of home will have a direct impact on the quality of your work. That's not to say you can't get good results with poor tools, but you will have to work a lot harder to get those results. 

In this Monday Motivation, I'm sharing my suggestions for essential kitchen tools that are worth the splurge for higher quality. 

NOTES & LINKS

Companion Blog Post with All Links & Suggested Tools

Knives:

• Here's a good set that includes a chef and paring knife
• Serrated Bread Knife

Skillets: start with a 10", then add 12-14" and an 8"

• Stainless Steel
• Cast Iron 
• Enamel Coated Cast Iron

Dutch Oven: I recommend 5-7 quart capacity, depending on family size

• uncoated cast iron
• enamel coated cast iron: budget option, splurge option

Stand Mixer

• Kitchen Aid, Professional
• Bosch, highly recommended for bread dough
• Cuisinart, a good all-purpose budget option
• Ankarsrum, very pricy, but has great reviews, not available on amazon

Support the show

HOMEMAKING RESOURCES

• Private Facebook Group, Homemaker Forum
• Newsletter Archive
• JR Miller's Homemaking Study Guide

SUPPORT & CONNECT

• Review | Love The Podcast
• Contact | Voicemail |Instagram | Facebook | Website | Email
• Follow | Follow The Podcast
• Support | theartofhomepodcast.com/support