Close-up of a woman in a peach blouse smiling and leaning against a kitchen counter, with fresh flour and wheat berries visible beside her.

About Emily

MAMA, WIFE, Homemaker, and Home Educator

Hi, I’m Emily Rider—the heart behind The Modern Day Cottage. I live in a 1,048-square-foot cottage that my husband and I built on a quiet acre of land with our daughter and my mom (her tiny cottage will be finished soon).

Life here moves with a slower rhythm: bread rising, feeding hens at dawn, and fresh laundry folded into baskets while the house hums quietly around me.

My love for this life began on my grandparents’ homestead. I dreamed of a world where Little House on the Prairie met Anne of Green Gables—a place full of peace and purpose.

That dream now lives on in the rhythm of our days.

My Cottage Lifestyle

This cozy lifestyle began in the garden rows of my childhood—gathering beans, canning, gardening, baking bread, and watching my grandparents move with intention and care.

I fell in love with their way of life and adapted it on a much smaller scale for my family’s needs and budget.

I homeschool our daughter, cook from scratch, garden, can what we can grow or buy locally, and tend to a small flock of heritage hens.

The Modern Day Cottage has become my way of sharing this gentle lifestyle—one recipe, one rhythm, one story at a time.

Smiling woman holding a bowl of freshly milled flour in a warm, cottage-style kitchen beside a wooden grain mill and a jar of wheat berries.
A woman reading Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon while seated on a cozy armchair. A side table next to her features a teacup, sugar cubes, a lit candle, and a stack of books, with a warm brass candlestick completing the cozy setup.

Your Invitation for Slow Living

If you find yourself craving quiet days, slower hours, or simply a life that feels more rooted, this space was made with you in mind.

Here in this cozy corner of the internet, I share the seasonal rhythms that shape our days: homemade recipes, heritage skills that I have learned, cottage routines, and thoughtful homemaking.

It’s not about doing more or getting it all right—it’s about doing what matters most, with care and joy.

May this space feel like a letter from a friend—offering warmth, inspiration, and encouragement as you embrace slow, seasonal living in your own beautiful way.

Savoring Seasonal Beauty in Everyday Moments

Whether I’m milling flour for a loaf of bread or crafting something handmade for our home, this space is a quiet place to slow down and reconnect.

To lean into seasonal rhythms, try something from scratch, and let your home reflect the warmth of your heart.

I hope the words and projects you find here invite you to lean into your own seasonal traditions—a well-loved recipe, a homemade candle, a breath of calm between the busyness.

Let’s soften the pace, pour a pot of tea, and enjoy the comforts of cozy cottage living together.

A woman standing in a snowy landscape, wearing a pink fleece jacket, gray beanie, plaid scarf, and jeans. She holds a floral teacup, enjoying the serene winter scene.
A cozy winter kitchen scene with a cup of frothy chai latte on a floral saucer, a lit candle, a honey jar, and a vase of red roses with baby’s breath on a rustic wooden table.

“Cottage living is a return—to home, to the quiet beauty woven through everyday moments, and to the sacred rhythm of the seasons.” –Emily Rider

Explore The Recipes New? Start here!

Emily’s Favorite Recipes

More Favorites

Get To Know Me

Go To Cozy Rituals to wind down

tea and reading a good book

Couldn’t live without

My mockmill!

Favorite Cottage Garden Plants

pumpkins & dahlias

My Dream

To renovate an old cottage in the UK and live happily ever after!

Crafts I enjoy

sewing, needlework, watercolor, & diy’s

Favorite Colors

sage green & pink

Most Days You’ll find me

in the garden, kitchen, cleaning, or homeschooling my daughter

Favorite Cozy Series

Lark Rise to Candleford

 Join the Cottage Living Community
A cozy weekly note from my cottage to yours—offering gentle inspiration, peaceful rhythms, and a peek at what’s new here at The Modern Day Cottage.
This is your space to pause, breathe, and enjoy the little things that make each season memorable.
You’re in! Thank you for joining our cottage living community—cozy inspiration will be on its way soon. Keep an eye on your inbox, Saturday mornings are about to get a little sweeter.

FAQ’s

I started baking with sourdough at just 3 years old, standing beside my grandmother in her kitchen. She never called it sourdough—she simply said, “Go get the thick leaven from the refrigerator.” It was a no-fuss, no-waste method she used for beautiful loaves of bread, biscuits, pancakes, and so much more.

Time got lost and things changed after my grandparents passed away. Then at the age of 21, a neighbor rekindled that spark by gifting me a bag of freshly milled flour and a jar of sourdough starter. I’ve been baking with it ever since, using the same low-maintenance, no-waste routine my grandmother taught me.

You can learn my exact starter method—passed down and simplified for modern kitchens—in my Beginner Sourdough Starter Recipe post.

I’ve found that combining freshly milled flour with sourdough has done wonders for my digestion, especially in midlife. It’s wholesome, easy, and truly sustainable.

I’ve been milling my own flour since 1999, long before it became a trending topic online. At just 21 years old, I was newly married and determined to nourish my family with real, whole food. I first discovered Sue Becker’s work through The Bread Beckers, and her teachings laid the foundation for everything I’ve learned since.

Back then, there weren’t blogs or reels to guide the way—just real-life experience, handwritten notes, and a deep desire to bake better for my family. Milling my own flour became part of my homemaking rhythm, and it’s still one of the most grounding things I do.

It’s more than just flour—it’s a ritual of nourishment, simplicity, and connection to the past.

You can explore more Fresh Milled Flour guides and recipes here at The Modern Day Cottage. Printable charts, tutorials, and new inspiration are coming soon!

It began in the summers of my childhood, visiting my grandparents’ farm in rural Oklahoma—a place where slow living wasn’t a trend, but simply the way life was lived.

I was just three years old the first time I stepped onto that land, and I was enchanted by everything: the rhythm of the seasons, the quiet simplicity, the freedom of it all.

Even then, I dreamed of a version that felt a little softer, more feminine—skirts brushing past garden rows, afternoons that echoed Anne of Green Gables, Tasha Tudor, and the poetry of life on a smaller, gentler scale.

My grandparents had farming in their blood—stretching back through 10 generations. And though they never called it anything special, I know it wove itself quietly into the fabric of who I am today.

I love the sights, sounds, and scents of farm life—from the first cut of hay being baled in the sun, to the scent of sourdough rising on the countertop, to the soft peeps of chicks hatching beneath a broody hen gathering up her clutch.

These tender rhythms are balm to my soul—held now on a smaller scale, in a cottage on 1 acre of land.

Now, through The Modern Day Cottage, I carry those rhythms forward with intention and care.

It’s my way of honoring a life where everything was done by hand, with heart and soul—where nourishing the body, mind, and spirit was woven into each day.

Not a farm like my Grandparents had, but a cottage—rooted in that same devotion, with gentler edges and a feminine touch.

You begin by listening to what stirs your heart.

A blog like The Modern Day Cottage isn’t built on trends—it’s rooted in rhythm, beauty, and intention. Start by sharing what feels honest and close to home: the way the morning light falls in your kitchen, the scent of herbs on your windowsill, the quiet rituals that shape your days.

Choose a name that feels like a soft place to land. Pick a platform that feels simple and kind to use. And when you write, write as though you’re speaking to a dear friend.

The rest will unfold—gently, in its own good time.

Homeschooling has been a part of our family life since 2009, and it’s one of the most meaningful choices I’ve ever made as a mother.

It’s allowed both of my children to grow in a slower, more intentional way—one that honors their natural pace and beautiful differences.

My son graduated in 2018, and my daughter is still learning at home—curious, creative, and full of wonder.

Our days follow a gentle, eclectic rhythm, rooted in the heart of Waldorf philosophy, with threads of Charlotte Mason lovingly woven throughout.

It’s not unschooling, but it is deeply mindful.

We move at the pace of childhood, shaped by the seasons, by stories, and by the way each child is uniquely made to thrive.

It’s a quiet, sacred part of our lives—and one I’ll always be grateful for.

Yes, I live in a cottage—one my husband custom built and I thoughtfully designed after we downsized from our forever home. It’s 1,048 square feet, with two bedrooms, two baths, and an open floor plan—every inch crafted with care and intention.

Set on one acre, it’s small but deeply loved—filled with warmth, purpose, and the quiet rhythm of daily life.

Yes, I’d love for you to share links to my blog!

I just kindly ask that you don’t copy and paste full recipes or use my photos without permission. The Modern Day Cottage is trademarked and copyrighted under our LLC, and each post is created with care, time, and heart.

Please honor that work by sharing it thoughtfully and respectfully.

Most mornings begin with tending the home—laundry started early, chickens fed, floors swept, and breakfast prepared from scratch.

In the afternoons, we gather eggs from our heritage hens, tidy up, and begin preparing lunch and dinner.

I bake bread several times a week from wheat I mill myself, and nearly every meal is home-cooked.

We homeschool Monday through Thursday, following a rhythm of reading, writing, arithmetic, science, history, art, handcrafts, and flute lessons—all learned through the gentle, intentional pace using a block-style Waldorf method.

The rest of the day is woven with homemaking, gardening, preserving the season’s harvests, blogging, and tending to whatever the season brings.

We usually close the evening with a gentle tidy and a quiet settling around 9:30 each night.

Shop My Favorites

These are the tools, staples, and small comforts I reach for in my own cottage kitchen—simple things that truly earn their place.

Kitchen Essentials