{"id":2617159,"date":"2026-06-22T08:45:57","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T12:45:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/here-are-4-reads-to-upskill-your-homemaking-this-summer\/"},"modified":"2026-06-22T08:51:14","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T12:51:14","slug":"here-are-4-reads-to-upskill-your-homemaking-this-summer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/here-are-4-reads-to-upskill-your-homemaking-this-summer\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Reads to Upskill Your Homemaking This Summer"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhere-are-4-reads-to-upskill-your-homemaking-this-summer%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2617159&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>This article encourages women, particularly <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >homemakers adn young mothers<\/a>, to use the summer months as an possibility to enhance their homemaking skills through reading. It reminisces about the nostalgic summer tradition of visiting libraries and choosing enriching books to enjoy during the heat. The author recommends a curated list of four impactful books: <\/p>\n<p>1. *The Hidden Art of Homemaking* by Edith Schaeffer, which emphasizes recognizing and cultivating the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/feinstein-recalled-as-a-force-for-every-day-people-in-san-francisco-city-hall-service\/\" title=\"Feinstein remembered as a powerful advocate for the people in SF City Hall.\">artistic talents<\/a> in everyday life to create a beautiful, meaningful home environment.  <\/p>\n<p>2. *David Copperfield* by Charles Dickens, a novel highlighting the importance of a well-managed and peaceful home as a refuge and emphasizing the influence of surroundings on personal disposition.  <\/p>\n<p>3. *The Summa Domestica* by Leila Marie Lawler, a extensive guide on traditional household management and Christ-centered parenting, serving as a practical reference for homemakers.  <\/p>\n<p>4. *Dopamine Kids* by Michaeleen Doucleff, focusing on the science of how <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/helsinki-govt-to-stop-serving-meat-and-milk-to-fight-climate-change\/\" title=\"Helsinki Govt to Stop Serving Meat and Milk to Fight Climate Change\">processed foods<\/a> and screens impact children&#8217;s brains, providing strategies to foster healthier home environments and choices.<\/p>\n<p>The piece encourages reading one book per month from June to September to enter the colder months with renewed energy and motivation for homemaking, suggesting these books as both enjoyable and educational for nurturing a well-rounded home life.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Summer is an excellent time to make use of freer schedules and fewer sicknesses to upgrade our skills at creating a home for those we love.<\/p>\n<p>Summer reading is nostalgic. In the hot months of yesteryear, many of us took trips to the library and\u00a0perused the shelves before tucking away someplace cool to enjoy our finds. Other times, reading was mandatory to prepare for the school year. If the material was worthy,\u00a0it made for an excellent way to beat the heat! <\/p>\n<p>As summer is still hot, I have compiled a short list of recommended reading for young homemakers or anyone in need of such motivation. I\u2019m green yet in my own housekeeping journey, but all the better for each of these books. When I finished each, my first thought was usually, \u201cWhy didn\u2019t someone tell me about this sooner?!\u201d Consider yourself told.<\/p>\n<p>This is a very brief list; perhaps you could read one book a month this summer (beginning June 21 \u2013 September 22). It would\u00a0be a great way to enter the colder months with renewed vigor\u2014\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 which you will need for another school year, all the holidays, the inevitable little sicknesses, etc. Think of it as required reading for your homemaking vocation. You\u2019ll find them enjoyable and edifying. <\/p>\n<h2>1. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Hidden-Art-Homemaking-Edith-Schaeffer\/dp\/0842313982\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>The Hidden Art Of Homemaking<\/em><\/a><\/h2>\n<p>Originally published in 1985 under the simpler title<ins>,<\/ins> <em>The Hidden Art<\/em>, Edith Schaeffer (wife of theologian Francis Schaeffer) reminds us that Christians are made in the image of their Creator to create. Indeed, it is a good and righteous thing to do so. <\/p>\n<p>Too often, if we can\u2019t be the best at something or make it our life\u2019s work, we give it up. Consider Amy March\u2019s famous quote from <em>Little Women:<\/em> \u201cRome took all the vanity out of me, and Paris made me realize I\u2019d never be a genius. So, I\u2019m giving up all my foolish artistic hopes.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Yet\u00a0we often still hold those artistic passions. However, they aren\u2019t meant to die there, but to be released and enjoyed by everyone around us, including ourselves. This is true for everyone but particularly applicable for a homemaker, who has such freedom in deciding her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n<p>Schaeffer wrote, \u201cI would define \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/xi-jinping-announces-he-is-preparing-his-country-for-war\/\" title=\"Xi Jinping Announces He Is Preparing His Country for War\">hidden art<\/a>\u2019 as the art found in the ordinary areas of everyday life. Each person has, I believe, some talent which is unfulfilled in some area of his being \u2013 a talent which could be expressed and developed.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>In this book, she thoughtfully considers different artistic expressions including music, painting, interior decoration, food, flower arranging, drama, writing, clothing, etc.\u00a0She offers ways we can incorporate these arts\u00a0into our lives and\u00a0enrich our worlds.\u00a0It\u2019s a short read (approximately 200 pages) but memorable. <\/p>\n<p>Standing up at the counter when my husband is gone and I\u2019m tempted to do \u201cgirl dinner,\u201d Schaeffer\u2019s voice tells me to still make it orderly and beautiful for myself and the children. When Daddy is away, she says, don\u2019t we all need extra cheer? <\/p>\n<h2><strong>2. <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Copperfield-Penguin-Classics-Charles-Dickens\/dp\/0140439447\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">David Copperfield <\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Yes, this is a novel. Yes, it very much counts as homemaking inspirational material. <\/p>\n<p>Somehow, I avoided reading this work of Charles Dickens until recently, but it is worth its weight in gold. I really mean that because <em>it\u2019s a hefty one<\/em>! It\u2019s around a thousand pages and yet every page will bring you to an emotional extreme. For every laugh, you will cry harder. Do yourself a favor and always read with a tissue box close at hand.<\/p>\n<p>In short, it\u2019s an epic novel, rightfully dubbed, \u201cthe most perfect of all the Dickens novels,\u201d by Virginia Woolf.\u00a0It\u2019s also very poignant in its high valuation of keeping a well-managed home.<\/p>\n<p>I want my home to feel like a place of refuge from the outside world, and this theme is scattered through the entire work. Dickens\u00a0does a masterful job of bringing the main character, David, up from a wee babe to a middle-aged man. Throughout his life, we see how his surroundings affect his disposition. <\/p>\n<p>In particular, the character Agnes is shown as an ideal housekeeper and peacemaker.\u00a0Her home is always a place of tranquility for David, who\u00a0leads a messy, disorganized home life\u00a0as an adult\u00a0-a great source of frustration for him. I enjoyed getting a man\u2019s point of view on these matters and watching a character experience both sides of the coin. <\/p>\n<p>Be warned: You will not want to put this book down. You must, however. Remember that home you have to keep? <\/p>\n<h2><strong>3. <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/-\/he\/Summa-Domestica-Order-Wonder-Family\/dp\/1644135108\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Summa Domestica <\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>If you\u2019ve ever thought, \u201cI wish I had an encyclopedia for all things practical homemaking and parenting,\u201d\u00a0look no further. This is a trilogy by Leila Marie Lawler and a must-have on every woman\u2019s shelf.\u00a0She advocates for traditional, Christ-centered parenting and household organization. I regularly refer back to her commentary as I go through different child-rearing stages. It saves me a lot of hair-pulling! <\/p>\n<p><em>The Summa Domestica<\/em> is organized into three books, on home culture, education, and housekeeping. My mother and mother-in-law were excellent homeschool teachers and housekeepers, so I\u2019m not coming at this whole thing with a blank slate \u2013 but Lawler\u2019s recommendations are helpful even if you share this background.       <\/p>\n<p>Many are just ingenious. My mother and I have both said, \u201cWhat a\u00a0great idea!\u201d Also, Lawler\u2019s advice is\u00a0written down. Once on your shelf, you have the luxury of thumbing through the index to find a solution to your problem \u2014\u00a0and she covers a lot of them!\u00a0Google cannot compare.\u00a0Beyond that, the set is gorgeous to look at, with illustrations by Lawler\u2019s beautifully trained daughter. <\/p>\n<h2><strong>4.  <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Dopamine-Kids-Science-Based-Screens-Ultraprocessed\/dp\/166804983X\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dopamine Kids <\/a> <\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>In case you zoom through the other books, here\u2019s one more to help you stay cool. It might not seem related to homemaking per se, but it does apply to the choices you make for your home culture. What are you feeding your family? What activities are you encouraging your family in through your home set-up? <\/p>\n<p>\u201cDopamine Kids\u201d was published earlier this year by Michaeleen Doucleff, a PhD and NPR science reporter. You may know her name from the \u201cHunt Gather Parent\u201d craze a few years ago. This new book focuses on the hard science behind how ultra-processed foods and screens affect our brains.<\/p>\n<p>With a specific focus on children, Doucleff explores how\u00a0to combat these adverse effects with long-tested strategies\u00a0from the addiction field. If that seems extreme to you, it\u2019s because screens and snack food interact with our brain much like online gambling: in an extremely addictive, unhealthy way. <\/p>\n<p>Even if you don\u2019t have kids, I would encourage you to read it. It\u2019s all applicable to adult brains, too! While my family already ate pretty healthy and had some screen boundaries, we put a bunch of Doucleff\u2019s suggestions into practice in our home, and I am loving it. <\/p>\n<p>Her goal with the book is to make our homes sanctuaries for conversation, focus, sleep, and adventure. Sounds like a job for a homemaker to me.  <\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Caroline S. Wharton formerly served as the online editor and press specialist for Students for Life of America. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and children. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Summer is perfect for refreshing homemaking skills and enjoying nostalgic reading<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1718,"featured_media":2617160,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/christin-hume-k2Kcwkandwg-unsplash-scaled.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546,33651],"tags":[78115,46826,81519],"class_list":["post-2617159","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist","category-the-western-journal","tag-homemaking","tag-self-improvement","tag-summer-activities"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/christin-hume-k2Kcwkandwg-unsplash-scaled.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2617159","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1718"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2617159"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2617159\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2617163,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2617159\/revisions\/2617163"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2617160"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2617159"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2617159"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2617159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}