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Belonging to a Church

Posted on June 13, 2013July 12, 2017 by Amy Rogers Hays

Last Sunday our church moved to its new summer home. This is the fifth space that we have regularly worshiped in over the past six years, just now overtaking the number of apartments that my husband, Evan, and I have shared over the same time span.   As I stood toward the front of our…

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Summer Reading: 10 Children’s Books Set in the Late 19th Century

Posted on June 11, 2013July 11, 2017 by Amy Rogers Hays

  School is officially out in Maryland this week, so today is another installment of Summer Reading: 10 Favorite Books. (Check out my fantasy series list). Just like the charming May B that I wrote about on Thursday, these books are set the in rough and romantic late nineteenth century. The late 1800s with its…

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Reflections on Dyslexia: May B. A Novel by Caroline Starr Rose

Posted on June 6, 2013July 8, 2017 by Amy Rogers Hays

  When I picked up Caroline Starr Rose’s book May B. this spring, I did not know it was going to be about a girl who had dyslexia.   Until I was in my 20s, I did not know that I had dyslexia.   I checked out May B. along with a host of other…

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Natural Hair Care: Baking Soda, Apple Cider Vinegar & Vodka-Gelatin Hair Gel

Posted on June 4, 2013July 8, 2017 by Amy Rogers Hays

  My first foray into natural hair care was when I went to France in the summer of 2005. My gorgeous spiral-curled brunette artist roommate Charity had brought along two English books. One was Gone with the Wind and the other was a paperback called Curly Girl by Lorraine Massey.  Charity was the most beautiful…

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In Honor of Anniversary Weekend

Posted on May 30, 2013September 15, 2018 by Amy Rogers Hays

  In honor of our sixth anniversary last Sunday, here is the beginning of the story of Evan and me from seven springs ago…   We met at history honor society.   He was a tall handsome senior. I was a curly-haired, blond junior.  In such a small program, we were both surprised there was a…

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Summer Reading: 10 Favorite Fantasy Series

Posted on May 28, 2013July 20, 2020 by Amy Rogers Hays

As temperatures fluctuate from 50 to 90 in late May in Maryland, and trees are in full summer greenery, school is about to be out. Summer is upon us. In honor of all my tutoring students who, even if they do not know it, are in search of good books to read over the summer,…

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Wishes, Names, & Yellowstone Pools

Posted on May 23, 2013August 11, 2017 by Amy Rogers Hays

  At Yellowstone, there are signs that ask people to not throw coins (or anything else) into the whimsically named colorful springs and pools.  Since ancient time, waters have been seen as places of healing and life, where little water spirits might dwell and grant a wish whispered with a coin thrown.  The sacrament of…

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A Moving Meditation, yoga and prayer

Posted on May 21, 2013August 10, 2017 by Amy Rogers Hays

  On vacation my mom, sister-in-law, and I will often do yoga together. My mom goes to yoga classes a couple times a week at home, and she is a good sport about trying my routines.  Our exercise time in Yellowstone last week was mostly devoted to hiking, but we did squeeze in a quick…

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Packing Lighter

Posted on May 15, 2013August 10, 2017 by Amy Rogers Hays

  When my brother and I were little, we used to play a game on long car rides called “In My Suitcase.” One of us would start out saying, “In my suitcase you will find” and then name something, like “five pairs of teal polka dotted socks.” The other person would then respond, “In my…

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Making Time to Connect

Posted on May 9, 2013August 10, 2017 by Amy Rogers Hays

I have found growing friendships after college to be slow work. In college, it was a bit like scattering wildflower seeds on a fertile hillside. In only a few weeks or months, I had a beautiful array of budding blossoms.   But after college, it seems that friendships mature more like trees. The growing seasons…

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Comfortable but Presentable, A Well-Curated Life

Posted on May 7, 2013August 9, 2017 by Amy Rogers Hays

  A few years ago when Evan and I went to visit our dear friends Julie and Brett, I noticed some of their beautiful books arranged by color on an antique bookshelf.  I was smitten. I came home and promptly over-hauled our main three bookshelves by color.  Every day, I look at them and enjoy…

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Handmade Creativity: Adventures in Canada

Posted on May 2, 2013August 16, 2017 by Amy Rogers Hays

  Every few summers, my family has made its way to a small cabin in northwestern Ontario.   For a week or two we live without electricity or running water in a little Canadian log cabin.  Over the years that I have gone to the cabin, I have learned a little about making things by hand….

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Creative Movement

Posted on April 30, 2013August 6, 2017 by Amy Rogers Hays

  Ballet has shaped how I think about exercise and movement. My experience with ballet was marked with beauty and strength, focus and challenge. And that’s how I want to move now. I want to move within beauty. I want to grow stronger. I want to learn to focus, control, and challenge both my mind…

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Eating for Health, Eating for Creativity

Posted on April 25, 2013July 12, 2017 by Amy Rogers Hays

  For my 27th birthday my grandfather gave me a freezer full of pheasant. Actually, the pheasant was left over from a South Dakota hunting trip, and that Christmas anyone was welcome to it.  I don’t have a great penchant for pheasant (there is a reason the chicken was domesticated), but it was the perfect…

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The Joy of Reading

Posted on April 23, 2013August 2, 2017 by Amy Rogers Hays

  When my mother was a little girl, her Aunt Janice sent her a copy of CS Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.  It just sat on the living room bookshelf, and one day with no prompting or introduction my mom picked it up.   I could, as a child, always imagine this…

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Welcome!

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I'm so glad you're here! I'm Amy - Anglican, mother of two, lover of trees, coffee, & fairy tales. Here's where I write about making space for creativity and filling our days with long walks, good food, morning prayers, and the reading and writing of good books. Drop me a line at AmyRogersHays (at) gmail.com.

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Favorite Posts

natural haircare

Make Natural Hair Care: Baking Soda, Apple Cider Vinegar & Vodka-Gelatin Hair Gel

  homemade deodorant

Make Homemade Deodorant For Sensitive Skin: Bentonite Clay and Baking Soda

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Advice to Future College Students: 10 Things I Wish I Had Done More

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Belonging to A Church

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Reflections on Dyslexia: May B. A Novel by Caroline Starr Rose

  leaving grad school

A Defining Retreat: Deciding to Leave Grad School

  love story

The Beginning of a Love Story In Honor of Anniversary Weekend

  breakfast

Scramble Up A Simple Paleo Breakfast

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Bake Up A Flourless Chocolate Cake

  comfortable and presentable

Organize Bookshelves by Color

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My Life In Trees

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An Elimination Diet Figure Out What Foods Are Making You Sick

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A Goodbye Letter to Our Church: Leaving Those You Love

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Paleo Chai: A Blended Coconut Oil & Butter Recipe

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16 Online Resources: Liturgical Prayer Apps & Websites

 

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Welcome!


I’m so glad you’re here! I’m Amy – Anglican, mother of two, lover of trees, coffee, & fairy tales. Here’s where I write about making space for creativity and filling our days with long walks, good food, morning prayers, and the reading and writing of good books. Drop me a line at AmyRogersHays (at) gmail.com.

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Recent Posts

Maundy Thursday: A Liturgy for Children and Families

Maundy Thursday: A Liturgy for Children and Families

Family Easter Basket Ideas: Books, Games, and Really Good Chocolate

Family Easter Basket Ideas: Books, Games, and Really Good Chocolate

Newbery Review #104 (The First State of Being, Kelly, 2025)

Newbery Review #104 (The First State of Being, Kelly, 2025)

40 Books for My 40th Birthday: A 2024 Reading List

40 Books for My 40th Birthday: A 2024 Reading List

Family Christmas Letter 2024

Family Christmas Letter 2024

Recipe for a Birthday Hike

Recipe for a Birthday Hike

An Invitation to October Rest: A Devotional

An Invitation to October Rest: A Devotional

Fun for Two: 5 Date Night Board & Card Games

Fun for Two: 5 Date Night Board & Card Games

Our Board-Game Loving, Third Grade Son’s Top 5 List of Favorite Board Games

Our Board-Game Loving, Third Grade Son’s Top 5 List of Favorite Board Games

Our First Grader’s Top Board Games: 5 No-Reading-Required, Travel Friendly, Family Card Games

Our First Grader’s Top Board Games: 5 No-Reading-Required, Travel Friendly, Family Card Games

5 Games to Start a Board Game Collection

5 Games to Start a Board Game Collection

5 Tips for Family Board Gaming

5 Tips for Family Board Gaming

40 of the Best Picture Books for 5 Year Olds

40 of the Best Picture Books for 5 Year Olds

Newbery Review #103 (The Eyes and the Impossible, Egger, 2024)

Newbery Review #103 (The Eyes and the Impossible, Egger, 2024)

Ash Wednesday: A Liturgy for Children and Families

Ash Wednesday: A Liturgy for Children and Families

Ways to Feel a Little Better or a Little More Peaceful

Ways to Feel a Little Better or a Little More Peaceful

How to Find Great Children’s Books: 20 Guide Books, Books Lists, and Web Resources

How to Find Great Children’s Books: 20 Guide Books, Books Lists, and Web Resources

39 Books for my 39th Birthday: A 2023 Reading List

39 Books for my 39th Birthday: A 2023 Reading List

Family Christmas Letter 2023

Family Christmas Letter 2023

A Simple Home Christmas Pageant Script

A Simple Home Christmas Pageant Script

Books & Boots for Saint Nicholas Day: A List of our Family’s Favorite Christmas Picture and Read Aloud Books

Books & Boots for Saint Nicholas Day: A List of our Family’s Favorite Christmas Picture and Read Aloud Books

40 Great Picture Books for 4 Year Olds

40 Great Picture Books for 4 Year Olds

Newbery Review #102 (Freewater, Luqman-Dawson, 2023)

Newbery Review #102 (Freewater, Luqman-Dawson, 2023)

The Best Children’s Bibles: 30+ suggestions from Board Book Bibles to Illustrated Study Bibles

The Best Children’s Bibles: 30+ suggestions from Board Book Bibles to Illustrated Study Bibles

An Epiphany Liturgy for Children and Families

An Epiphany Liturgy for Children and Families

Categories

  • Anxiety
  • baby
  • Board Games
  • Book Lists
  • Children's Spiritual Formation
  • Connect
  • Creativity
  • Eat
  • Family Stories
  • Fun with Kids
  • Liturgical year
  • Love & Marriage
  • Make
  • Motherhood
  • Move
  • Newbery Book Reviews
  • Order
  • paleo
  • Pray
  • pregnancy
  • Read
  • Reflections
  • Rest
  • Self-Care
  • simplify
  • Toddler
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized
  • walks in the woods
  • Wisconsin Beauty
  • Write

Favorite Posts

natural haircare

Make
Natural Hair Care: Baking Soda, Apple Cider Vinegar & Vodka-Gelatin Hair Gel

 

homemade deodorant

Make
Homemade Deodorant For Sensitive Skin: Bentonite Clay and Baking Soda

 

college advice

Advice to Future College Students: 10 Things I Wish I Had Done More

 

belonging to a church

Belonging to A Church

 

dyslexia

Reflections on Dyslexia:
May B. A Novel by Caroline Starr Rose

 

leaving grad school

A Defining Retreat: Deciding to Leave Grad School

 

love story

The Beginning of a Love Story In Honor of Anniversary Weekend

 

breakfast

Scramble Up A Simple Paleo Breakfast

 

cake

Bake Up A Flourless Chocolate Cake

 

comfortable and presentable

Organize Bookshelves by Color

 

trees

My Life In Trees

 

elimination diet

An Elimination Diet Figure Out What Foods Are Making You Sick

 

goodbye letter

A Goodbye Letter to Our Church: Leaving Those You Love

 

paleo blended chai recipe

Paleo Chai: A Blended Coconut Oil & Butter Recipe

 

Prayer book

16 Online Resources: Liturgical Prayer Apps & Websites

 

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