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 Laura Ruoff about her 18 years of keeping a home with husband, Chris, and their 11 year old son.

We chat about all the things; challenges, expectations, fails and wins—how Laura is coming to terms with the illusion of perfectionism and balance, especially in her current season of being an entrepreneur. 

Laura owns a women’s self-defense school called Hips-n-Clips. Laura is a certified pistol instructor and range safety officer and she is passionate about teaching women all things self-defense. Laura is first and foremost a homemaker and as a fan of the Art of Home, she applied mainly to share her story of home. 

But I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to talk with her specifically about women’s safety and self defense. So we spend some time in the middle of this interview talking about some of the basics. Laura is great resource and she gracious shares some really great information here that will benefit all of you. 

EPISODE NOTES & LINKS

GUEST APPLICATIONS & NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN! (close 2.17.25 or once all spots are filled) 

CONNECT WITH LAURA

Website | hipsnclips.com

YouTube | @HipsnClips

Instagram | @hips_n_clips

Mentioned in This Episode

POM (Peace Of Mind) Pepper Spray | Buy | How-to Video

Laura's Recommended Video on Simple Self-Defense Moves

No Ordinary Home: The Uncommon Art of Christ-Centered Homemaking by Carol Jo Brazo

Be Our Guest! Apply or Nominate Through 11.23.25 or before all spots are filled. 

theartofhomepodcast.com/guest

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
• **Buy | as an Amazon affiliate, AoH receives a small commission at no extra cost to you when you use our links to purchase items we recommend

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 is February 3rd. Have you made any plans for Valentine’s Day? I realize that some people dismiss this as a greeting card holiday or despise it as a day fraught traumatic memories of not getting a valentine from the boy you had a crush on in 3rd grade. Today, I’m inviting you to lay your prejudices and past disappointments aside and embrace the unique opportunities to celebrate and express God’s love through your everyday homemaking.

We will look at ways to celebrate with food, words, music, experiences and some "couples only" suggestions for igniting the spark in your marriage.

EPISODE NOTES & RESOURCES

Homemaking Deep Dive | Marital Intimacy

"Celebrating Valentine's Day in Your Homemaking", original newsletter article

Be Our Guest! Apply or Nominate Through 11.23.25 or before all spots are filled. 

theartofhomepodcast.com/guest

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
• **Buy | as an Amazon affiliate, AoH receives a small commission at no extra cost to you when you use our links to purchase items we recommend

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, we are going to hear from Charity Gibson, who not only works outside the home but has written a book called The Working Homemaker: Employed Christian Moms Desiring a Thriving Home Life. 

Charity is at peace with her decision to be a working homemaker, yet is just as passionate about cultivating a place of belonging in her home as a full time homemaker would be. She’s come to realize that her choice, just like another woman’s choice to be home full time, requires certain sacrifices and adjusted expectations. But she does have a choice, and so do you. 

We talk about the role of boundaries for keeping work in its proper place, the difference between obligation and options and the fundamental truth that society should exist for the good of the family, not the other way around, because that is how both institutions truly thrive. We also cover all the usual ground of homemaking highs and lows, favorites, tips and more.

EPISODE NOTES & LINKS

Do you want to hear a full episode about managing on one income and making the decision to stay home full time? 
Text me! Use the link above.⬆️
or Email me! Use the link below. ⬇️

Connect with Charity
Website | charitygibson.com
Book, The Working Homemaker  | Amazon | ChristianBook.com | B&N

Mentioned in this Episode

• Marilynne Robinson | Housekeeping | Gilead 
• Amy Tan | The Joy Luck Club
• Glass Microwave Popcorn Popper

Be Our Guest! Apply or Nominate Through 11.23.25 or before all spots are filled. 

theartofhomepodcast.com/guest

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
• **Buy | as an Amazon affiliate, AoH receives a small commission at no extra cost to you when you use our links to purchase items we recommend

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

We are continuing today to revisit the 1st Pillar of Homemaking, Identity. Last week we looked at looking with, looking without, and looking up for identity, as well as some common identity thieves. Be sure to go back and give that a listen if you haven’t. Today we are going to talk about rehab for an identity-confused heart.

We will look at how to replace false identities with Truth, focusing on what the Bible has to say about who God is and who you are in Christ.

EPISODE NOTES & LINKS

MM #14 Identity Pt. 1
Deep Dive | Homemaking Pillar #1, Identity with Susan Macias

Who God Is

• Genesis 22:13 & 14,  Jehovah Jireh I AM your Provider
• Exodus 15:26, Jehovah Rapha I AM your Healing
• Exodus 17:8 15, Jehovah Nissi I AM your Banner
• Judges 6:24, Jehovah Shalom I AM your Peace
• Psalms 23:1, Jehovah Ra-ah I AM your Shepherd
• Jeremiah 23:6 Jehovah Tsidkenu,(sid-kenu) I AM your Righteousness
• Ezekiel 48:35 Jehovah Shammah I AM There (with you)

Who You are In Christ

• Romans 3:24, Justified
• 2 Corinthians 5:17 & Ephesians 4:24, A New Creation
• 1 John 3:1, Child of God
• Romans 8:17, Co-Heirs with Christ
• Philippians 3:20, Citizens of Heaven
• Ephesians 2:10, Created for Good Work
• Romans 8:1-2 & John 8:36, Free from Condemnation, & the Law of Sin & Death
• 1 Corinthians 6:19, A Temple of the Holy Spirit
• Romans 8:37, More than Conquerors
• Ephesians 1:3, Blessed with Every Spiritual Blessing

Be Our Guest! Apply or Nominate Through 11.23.25 or before all spots are filled. 

theartofhomepodcast.com/guest

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
• **Buy | as an Amazon affiliate, AoH receives a small commission at no extra cost to you when you use our links to purchase items we recommend

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

On today’s episode I am chatting with seasoned homemaker, Mindy Heiner, who was nominated by her daughter-in-law, Cassandra, whose glowing recommendation described Mindy as a blessing, an example, and an inspiration to her as a fellow homemaker. 

“She has shown me that you can have a good relationship with your mother-in-law. She is a wealth of knowledge on penny pinching and being frugal and she has such a heart for Jesus and young mothers,” says Cassandra. “She is my spiritual leader, my right hand and best friend. She models Christ and shows me how to be a good mom and homemaker.”

In this episode:

• Allison's Update: Rotating a Bi-weekly Menu Plan
• Mindy's inspirational grandmother
• Her homemaking strengths & weaknesses
• Homemaking Expectations and Regrets of Working Outside the Home
• Hospitality, Homemaking Wins, Fails, Tips and Recipes
• Learning to Use God's Gifts without Comparison

EPISODE LINKS & RESOURCES

Monday Motivation #6 | Homemaker Culture: Cultivating a Creative Life

Extended Notes and Mindy's Signature Dish Recipe will be in the next newsletter, January 31, 2025. Sign up below or Search "Mindy Heiner" in the Archive

Be Our Guest! Apply or Nominate Through 11.23.25 or before all spots are filled. 

theartofhomepodcast.com/guest

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
• **Buy | as an Amazon affiliate, AoH receives a small commission at no extra cost to you when you use our links to purchase items we recommend

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

If you’re new to the art of home, you may not be familiar with the 4 pillars of homemaking we’ve been exploring over the past couple of years—Identity, Values & Priorities, Rhythms & Routines, and Community.

We have done Deep Dives into the first three and this year we will dive into the final pillar, Community. In preparation for that journey, I wanted to revisit the first three pillars in several series of Monday Motivation episodes.

Today, I will be talking about Pillar #1, Identity, specifically where to look and not to look for your identity, as well as how to recognize some common thieves we may be tempted to attach our identity to and why.

EPISODE NOTES & LINKS
Pillars of Homemaking Deep Dive Episodes

• Identity with Susan Macias
• Values & Priorities with Karen Sheppard and Joi Welch
• Rhythms & Routines with Leslie Lucadou 

Scripture:
Job 1:21
James 1:7

Think About It Questions:
Consider losses or hardships you do or might face in your marriage, parenting, role as a homemaker, your physical home, health/wellness, ministry/volunteer work and ask yourself the following questions:

1. How would you react if these were threatened? I've given you some possible scenarios.
2. Note what emotions come up as you consider these hypothetical threats and losses.
3. Then ask yourself, "Why? Why do I feel _______ facing this particular threat?"
4. Once you have your answer, ask again, "But Why?" Keep asking "why" until you get to the heart of the matter. I guarantee you it will always come down to an identity issue. Do you believe God is who He says He is and that you are who He says y

Be Our Guest! Apply or Nominate Through 11.23.25 or before all spots are filled. 

theartofhomepodcast.com/guest

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
• **Buy | as an Amazon affiliate, AoH receives a small commission at no extra cost to you when you use our links to purchase items we recommend

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

We are talking about cleaning today! This will not be an exhaustive deep dive on the topic, rather, I’m calling it "Cleaning 101," because my goal with this episode is:

• Define what I do and do not mean by the word “clean"
• To encourage you to consider a few things you should figure out or KNOW which will inform how and why you clean. 
• Talk a bit about WHY cleaning matters
• Discuss the HOW of mastering the basics of keeping a clean home; focusing on regular deep cleaning the 2 dirtiest rooms in the house and maintenance cleaning the rest.

Whether you have decades of home cleaning experience, or you are brand new to the practice, and whether you consider yourself a messy person or a clean freak, this episode is for you!

EPISODE LINKS & NOTES

My New Vacuum: Kenmore Intuition BU4020
My Cleaning Playlist on Spotify

Extended show notes, including a kitchen and bathroom cleaning checklist and essential tools lists will be in the next newsletter. Sign up with link below or go to our archive and search "Cleaning 101".

Be Our Guest! Apply or Nominate Through 11.23.25 or before all spots are filled. 

theartofhomepodcast.com/guest

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
• **Buy | as an Amazon affiliate, AoH receives a small commission at no extra cost to you when you use our links to purchase items we recommend

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 January 13, how are your new year’s homemaking resolutions going? Many of us use the new year, post holiday season as an opportunity to overhaul our systems and try out new schedules in an effort to streamline and improve our homemaking. Have you considered creating chore charts for yourself? Chore charts can serve as a second homemaking brain for us.

In today's Monday Motivation, I'll share the benefits of chore charts or regular maintenance schedules and 4 practical steps to organizing all of your household to-do's into a manageable schedule.

This content originally appeared in AoH newsletter, Homemaker Happy Mail, October 6, 2023.

Be Our Guest! Apply or Nominate Through 11.23.25 or before all spots are filled. 

theartofhomepodcast.com/guest

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
• **Buy | as an Amazon affiliate, AoH receives a small commission at no extra cost to you when you use our links to purchase items we recommend

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 of you are considering, perhaps even have begun a read through the Bible challenge for the year and that is awesome. But maybe you are feeling a little hesitant, dare I say resistant to the idea of committing to regular Bible reading and study. Whether it’s because you’re feeling overwhelmed, under equipped or because Bible study seems unrealistic or irrelevant to your current season, this episode is for you. 

I hope that through this conversation you will see the unending riches that are waiting for you in the Word of God and that it is accessible and applicable to your experience as a woman, a wife, a mom, and a homemaker.

 
Episode Links & Notes

Connect with Belinda & Amber
Confident Weakness Ministries Website
Habakuk Study Begins February 11, 2025, register on their website
New Podcast, Conversations in the Psalms on Apple, on Spotify

Recommended Resources

• Enduring Word, David Guzik
• Charles Spurgeon
• Warren Wiersbe, great for beginners
• Bible Hub, for original language meaning
• Blue Letter Bible App, has study aids and commentary
• Bible Ref App, gives context and commentary for books and individual verses

Be Our Guest! Apply or Nominate Through 11.23.25 or before all spots are filled. 

theartofhomepodcast.com/guest

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
• **Buy | as an Amazon affiliate, AoH receives a small commission at no extra cost to you when you use our links to purchase items we recommend

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

Happy Monday and Happy New Year, Homemakers! Welcome to Season 23 and the kickoff of another year on the Art of Home Podcast.

As we all launch in to a new year with new dreams and ideas for our homemaking, let me encourage you to begin from a place of rest. Today’s Monday Motivation originally appeared in our newsletter, Homemaker Happy Mail, February 3, 2023.

EPISODE NOTES & LINKS

Strangely Bright; Can You Love God and Enjoy This World? by Joe Rigney

Scripture:
John 15:4-5
Mary & Martha, Luke 10:38-42

Think About It Questions:

• How do you practice regular weekly, daily and seasonal times of rest?
• If this is a challenging area for you, take some time to think and pray about why. What changes can you make to your mindset, your expectations and your schedule to incorporate consistent rest into your rhythm of life?

Be Our Guest! Apply or Nominate Through 11.23.25 or before all spots are filled. 

theartofhomepodcast.com/guest

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
• **Buy | as an Amazon affiliate, AoH receives a small commission at no extra cost to you when you use our links to purchase items we recommend