Encouraging Hearts and Home: Goodbye January

Often January feels like the longest month of the year here in New England and I am so pleasantly surprised that we're very nearly into February already! I try so hard to just enjoy each day as it comes but I find winter to be so long and so boring that it's hard not to wish it away.  We're bracing for a big snowstorm this weekend and keeping warm around the house.  What are your favorite indoor activities?

And Now, It's Time for This Week's Encouraging Hearts & Home Blog Hop!  

 

Join your Encouraging Hearts & Home Co-Hosts each week for encouragement and support for your heart & your home. We hope to provide a space that builds each other up and lends a helping hand along the way. With all the negativity in the world, let's shine a positive light!



Most viewed from last week:

Oven Roasted Delicata Squash and Onions by Scratch Made Food & DIY Homemade Household



Some of my favorites from last week:

Hiking the Glassy Mountain Trail by The Diary of Nicole Alicia 






Strawberry Lemon Bars by The House On Silverado 



Use the form below to share your family-friendly posts this week, and please consider these nice things you can do:

  • Follow and/or subscribe to your host's blog.
  • Visit a few other bloggers and show them your support. We all love getting comments, and who knows what inspiration you may find? Be sure to share the love--that's what a blog hop is all about!
  • Check out our Encouraging Hearts & Home Pinterest board where each host pins her 10 favorite posts each week.
  • Join us every Thursday!
  • If you are interested in co-hosting, contact Linda at Apron Strings & Other Things!


You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter
Linking up with:





Comments

  1. Handmade in IsraelJanuary 27, 2022 at 5:11 AM

    We're in the middle of a storm here. Jerusalem has snow (though just rain where I am). I am keeping warm at home!
    Thanks for hosting.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Michele MorinJanuary 27, 2022 at 7:16 AM

    I am.preparing for the storm with a pot of soup on the stove. And chuckling at the term "bomb cyclone."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne January 28, 2022 at 7:42 AM

      That is the perfect way to prepare for a storm!

      Delete
  3. Debbie-Dabble Blog and A Debbie-Dabble ChristmasJanuary 27, 2022 at 8:21 AM

    Joanne,
    Thanks again for hosting this lovely party every week! I know how much time goes into doing so and I want you to know that it is greatly appreciated!! Stay safe, healthy and happy!!
    Hugs,
    Debbie

    ReplyDelete
  4. kitty@ Kitty's Kozy KitchenJanuary 27, 2022 at 9:02 AM

    Don’t you look so cute in your sweaters?? Thanks, Joanne, for hosting this party for us. I hope wintertime speeds quickly by for you. I happen to love it here in Texas, but I remember what it was like in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan!

    ReplyDelete
  5. EllibelleJanuary 27, 2022 at 9:20 AM

    Those lemon bars look delicious!!
    I too am glad to see January almost gone, it's been such a FRIGID month! Hoping the snowstorm you're about to get won't be too bad! Somehow I always feel like decluttering a bit on snow days and re-organizing kitchen cabinets and closets.
    Thanks for hosting the linkup!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne January 28, 2022 at 7:43 AM

      It really has been so cold. I'm okay with the snow but I'm just really hoping we don't get the widespread power outages they're predicting. I'm hoping to clean and craft this weekend.

      Delete
  6. Julie's Creative LifestyleJanuary 27, 2022 at 9:34 AM

    We've been so lucky with the snow storms this winter Joanne. I know how it's going to be a big storm in New England and NY. I hope we make it through the storm ok. Thanks for hosting and enjoy the rest of the week.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Melynda@Scratch Made Food!January 27, 2022 at 10:14 AM

    Thanks for hosting, always fun to visit but especially when one of my own was top viewed! Have a great day and take care.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Shelbee on the EdgeJanuary 27, 2022 at 11:44 AM

    Joanne, I relate perfectly to your sentiments about January and winter. It really is hard not to wish it away. But I have been trying to embrace hibernation and have been focusing on health and wellness indoors...lots of yoga and exercise and rest and relaxation. I will be ready to emerge in the spring!

    Shelbee

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne January 28, 2022 at 7:44 AM

      Yes, I've been trying to exercise every morning.

      Delete
  9. Tamar SBJanuary 27, 2022 at 12:56 PM

    The treats look great!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne January 28, 2022 at 7:44 AM

      Don't they?! I love finding delicious recipes on the web.

      Delete
  10. Amy JohnsonJanuary 27, 2022 at 5:09 PM

    Oh, this has been the longest January ever! It's so cold! Can't wait for it to be over. Thanks for the party.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Favorite TV Shows Growing Up in the 80's and early 90's

Image
Do you remember the TGIF lineups on Friday nights? I can remember planning sleepovers and time with friends around TV Show lineups of our favorite shows... or else trying to set the VCR to record our favorite shows if we weren't going to be home. And through the years I had SO MANY favorites! Growing pains aired in 1985 which put me around age 8 and it stayed on the air until I was 15 or so; I'm pretty sure most people in my age group watched mostly for Kirk Cameron and all his antics.  I still have a soft spot for family sit-coms!  The Facts of Life aired when I was just 2  and stayed on the air until I was 11 so I'm sure the episodes I remember so fondly were either some of the later ones and then reruns shown later on when I was old enough to watch from the beginning. I think everyone would have loved an Edna Garret in their lives.   Benson another sitcom that began airing when I was just 2 and was done by the time I was 9 (another one I must have watched mai...
Read more

Things That Make Me Laugh

Image
I loved the challenge of this week's list for our 26 lists link up.  I don't know about you but I really need to laugh more lately.  It's such a great stress reliever. 1.  Books-- I love a good funny book that makes me laugh out loud.  I haven't read one in a while but if you have any recommendations I'm all ears.  The last book I can remember making me laugh was the Un-Honeymooners. 2  The boys being silly. 3.  Watching shows like America's Funniest Videos or Family Feud. 4. My husband.  Most people don't realize it but he's actually pretty funny and often makes me laugh. 5.  Whenever my sisters/ family get together and we get to reminiscing (particularly if my Aunt Elaine is around) we end up laughing so hard at all the old family stories that we are all in tears by the end of the night.  It's fabulous. 6. Movies like Mom's Night Out, Christmas Vacation, and Grown Ups make me laugh out loud. 7.  When my ...
Read more

Making Gift Card and Money Holders Using Scrapbooking and Cardmaking Supples

Image
I don't tend to keep a lot of crafting supplies on hand so when I saw this month's de-stash challenge I wasn't sure what I was going to make.  I finally realized that with so many of my Christmas gifts being cash and gift cards this year that I needed to make up some fun paper crafting/ creative ways to gift them.   I still want my nieces and nephews to have something to open so I pulled out my papers and stamps and made up some cute little money/gift card holders. They were much easier to make than I thought.  The first one I worked on was to hold some oversized Nintendo gift cards.  I made a standard sized card and folded down one corner of the card front.  Then I ran my double sided tape along the bottom an 1/2 way up the side creating a cute little pocket.  Finally I added some cute embellishments and ribbons.   Voila! A simple and easy gift card holder for those larger sized gift cards.  The bulk of the tweens and teens on my list j...
Read more

Making a Sugar Cookie "Gingerbread" House

Image
 Alec really wanted to try making his own gingerbread house this year without using a premade kit.  We talked about how we never really eat the house since they don't taste very good.  Years ago we gave up on the frosting that comes in the kit and began making our own so we thought perhaps we should try making our our house too. Only problem is that no one in the house likes gingerbread.  We talked about trying to make the house using a sugar cookie recipe.  Alec was so excited at that idea since he just LOVES sugar cookies.   He found a recipe online for a simple sugar cookie recipe and mixed up the dough.  He rolled it out an cut it to the size of our cookie sheets-- we had read that it's easiest to cut the house pieces out after the dough has been baked and is still warm and soft because then you don't have to worry about any of the pieces losing their shape while baking. I had picked out a simple cookie cutter set on Amazon and as soon as the ...
Read more

Dollar Store Candy Cane Wreath

Image
Today I am linking up with some fellow bloggers for a Dollar Store craft challenge.  I don't often participate in these challenges since I try to stay away from our local Dollar Stores; I find they can be quite dangerous for me!  I knew this was the perfect time to find some inexpensive holiday decorations though and I just LOVE how my wreath turned out!  I hope you stop by and see what the other hosts are sharing. Meet this month's co-hosts! Across the Blvd | Purple Hues & Me This Autoimmune Life | Our Unschooling Journey Domestic Deadline | Sew Crafty Crochet Stone Cottage Adventures | Sum of Their Stories | Two Chicks & a Mom I bought the candy cane wreath base and a few rolls of mesh (not knowing how many I'd need I bought waaay to many; I only ended up using one white roll and one red roll. Using some chenille stems I already had on hand I attached the mesh to the wreath base trying to alternate the whit...
Read more