Grab a glass of sweet tea and let’s linger awhile.

You long to live a simple life focused on the things that matter most

. . .and to find joy in being the maker of a home that’s centered around what’s important.

But instead, you find yourself frustrated and overwhelmed by the busyness life throws at you, leaving you exhausted and feeling hopeless. You’re struggling to keep it all together, and at the end of the day, you feel like throwing in the towel.

The comparison trap

You try hard not to compare yet you can’t help but wonder how so many other women seem to have it together when you feel like the walls are falling in around you.

You long to see a purpose in your efforts and to know that you’re making a difference in your home and in the lives of those you share it with.

Does this sound familiar?

  • You make every effort to put an easy, delicious meal on the table each night but never plan well enough to do so.
  • You dream of having an organized home that’s clean, tidy, and running smoothly for your family.
  • You desire to decorate your home to fit your family’s style but can’t seem to pull it together.
  • You long to host impromptu parties and get-togethers but have no clue where to start.
  • You can’t help but dread the thought of unannounced company stopping in.
  • You feel like your home is managing you instead of you managing it.

If so, let me tell you that you’re not alone. I’ve often fallen short at my homemaking ideals too.

But there is hope!

I believe homemaking is an art worth cultivating.

With some time and devotion, you can reclaim your home, turning it into that warm and inviting place you’ve always dreamed of having for you and your family.

I believe it’s possible to create the life you love – in the home you love.

It won’t happen overnight.

It will take some doing.

But, it’ll be worth it in the end.

Imagine being the maker of a beautiful and purposeful home that runs smoothly because of the routines and traditions you’ve put into place.

Together, we can make this happen!

What our lovely readers have said:

THEY ARE DREAMY!

I love love love the darker butcher block countertops! They are dreamy. We bought our first home 3 years ago and are finally getting around to the kitchen.

Christy

2019-08-15T15:30:25-04:00

Christy

I love love love the darker butcher block countertops! They are dreamy. We bought our first home 3 years ago and are finally getting around to the kitchen.

IT REALLY DOES PLEASE GOD!

Oh Kim, this is so so good. I needed to be reminded of all the points you made. It really does please God when we practice hospitality and serve others in this way. Our experience of being welcomed and sheltered when we were stranded, is the perfect example. I know I’ll never forget that night!

Joyce

2019-08-15T15:32:00-04:00

Joyce

Oh Kim, this is so so good. I needed to be reminded of all the points you made. It really does please God when we practice hospitality and serve others in this way. Our experience of being welcomed and sheltered when we were stranded, is the perfect example. I know I’ll never forget that night!

DAD SAID THAT IT TASTED LIKE CHOCOLATE CAKE DID WHEN HE WAS A KID!

This is the only cake my family has requested for the last 3 years. Every birthday and holiday and party. The biggest compliment came from my Dad who said that it tasted like chocolate cake did when he was a kid. This recipe is perfect as written and the suggested frosting is a star in its own right. Baking it for my twins 8th birthday as we speak.

Brie

5
2019-08-15T15:17:20-04:00

Brie

This is the only cake my family has requested for the last 3 years. Every birthday and holiday and party. The biggest compliment came from my Dad who said that it tasted like chocolate cake did when he was a kid. This recipe is perfect as written and the suggested frosting is a star in its own right. Baking it for my twins 8th birthday as we speak.

HOSPITALITY IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES!

Loved this post so much! Hospitality is one of my favorite subjects and you covered it so perfectly. The story you shared is perfect.

Stacey

2019-08-15T15:34:25-04:00

Stacey

Loved this post so much! Hospitality is one of my favorite subjects and you covered it so perfectly. The story you shared is perfect.

LOVED THEM!

Made these….loved them!!!!!!

dedee

2019-08-15T15:19:15-04:00

dedee

Made these….loved them!!!!!!

IT’S SO SO SOOOOOOO GOOD!

I don’t even know what to say about this cake. It’s SO SO SOOOOOOO good, it’s not even funny.
I made it for my husband’s birthday and we had to get “rid” of it or else we would eat the whole thing in one night, so we took it to my in-laws and everyone loved it over there too.
I made it with the frosting recommended here and it goes perfect together, but the cake itself, I could eat the whole thing by itself, it’s sooo good.
Do yourself a favor and MAKE IT NOW!!!

Fernanda

5
2019-08-15T14:56:39-04:00

Fernanda

I don’t even know what to say about this cake. It’s SO SO SOOOOOOO good, it’s not even funny. I made it for my husband’s birthday and we had to get “rid” of it or else we would eat the whole thing in one night, so we took it to my in-laws and everyone loved it over there too. I made it with the frosting recommended here and it goes perfect together, but the cake itself, I could eat the whole thing by itself, it’s sooo good. Do yourself a favor and MAKE IT NOW!!!

YOU MADE THIS FROM SCRATCH?

My oldest daughter loves chocolate and has been going through a tough time so I decided I was going to make her a cake. It came out great. My husband actually said, “You made this from scratch?” I will be making this again.

Marcy

5
2019-08-15T15:12:57-04:00

Marcy

My oldest daughter loves chocolate and has been going through a tough time so I decided I was going to make her a cake. It came out great. My husband actually said, “You made this from scratch?” I will be making this again.
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Join Serving Up Southern!

Welcome to Serving Up Southern! I’m so glad you’re here!

When you become a member of the Serving Up Southern community, you’ll discover the skills you’ve been missing in your hectic daily life. Skills that will help you create routine and tradition. Stop walking into a home filled with clutter and chaos and sit down to quiet, family-pleasing meals that you planned ahead of time.

Simple tasks like cleaning and organizing will no longer take you all day—tackle them with skills and techniques that will save you time and effort so you can spend more precious moments doing the things that matter most. Welcome in guests to peaceful and tasteful casual entertaining that you can throw together on a whim.

Join Our Community

Create the life you love – in the home you love!

I’m Kim.

I’ve been a wife for almost 36 years, and a mom for 31 of those years. I’ve also been a grandma for the last 4 years to four precious grandchildren. Oh, what a joy my family is to me! This southern baptist girl married into a beautiful Mennonite family. My husband was born Amish and grew up Mennonite on a dairy farm in Virginia. I learned early on in our marriage that the homemaking traditions between the two cultures were not all that different.

As a young girl, I was captivated with the home-keeping traditions of the women generations before me far more than what was happening in my modern-day. I was blessed to be able to follow along with three generations of amazing women in my family who loved to cook, keep house, and entertain not with stress, but with integrity, great pride, and joy.

During my years as a stay at home mom, I learned to refine those skills for the modern-day woman. Life is busier now than it was 50 years ago, so that meant learning to simplify tasks and using new strategies to translate the slower methods I learned as a child into more approachable techniques for everyday living.

We can all use inspiration and encouragement when it comes to homemaking. The world tells us that there’s no time and that rushing through each day is the only way to live. I invite you to slow down, have a glass of sweet tea and sit awhile — together we can make the home you dream of having for you and your family.

A little more about me

I’m a small-town Virginia girl who loves the country life and beach life. I was born, raised, and lived all my life in the southeastern corner of Coastal Virginia until we moved to south-central Virginia. We traded flat land and beaches for rolling hills and pastures. I love spending time at home – especially on our back porch with a cold glass of sweet tea and a good cookbook. I love thunderstorms and lightning bugs!

I cherish days gone by; days when giving one’s word was always reliable and sincere and when the sanctity of marriage was reserved for a man and a woman; days when children understood that real wealth was not measured by possessions, but by family, good friends, and moral values. I am a child of God, saved by grace. I am saved by the risen Savior, Jesus Christ, and I desire to seek His will in every area of my life.

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