Hello and welcome to The Happier Homemaker! Maybe you found yourself here popping over from Pinterest for my Apple Cinnamon Bread recipe or looking for tips on how to clean your house fast. However you ended up here I’m so very glad you did.

We have been sharing our favorite tried-and-true kitchen-tested recipes and home hacks here on The Happier Homemaker since 2011.

Where to start

  1. Check out our most popular posts
  2. Browse our easy & delicious recipes

When you are finished here, be sure to check out our other websites: No Fuss Recipes at Shaken Together Life and all things home (cleaning, decorating, gardening) at South Georgia Style

About Melissa Riker

Hi! I’m Melissa and I’m so glad you’ve found your way to my little corner of the internet!

When I was a newlywed military wife I thought I had it all under control-my house was going to be spotless, fancy home-cooked meals on the table every night, and of course, my children would be perfect angels!

God gave me a reality check when he blessed me with three crazy little boys in under 5 years and showed me the true chaos that family life can be! Over the years I’ve learned how to run my home more efficiently so I can spend more time doing the things I love.

I love trying new recipes that only taste like they took forever in the kitchen. I love solving problems and finding new ways of doing things that save time and money. And I love sharing those ideas with you!

What You’ll Find on The Happier Homemaker

The Happier Homemaker is all about making life easier. Here you’ll find:

  • delicious recipes for the everyday cook-no hard to find ingredients or complex techniques required
  • tips to make cleaning and organizing your home easier and faster.
  • simple, frugal ways to DIY and decorate your home

Featured On

The Happier Homemaker has been featured in BuzzFeed, Good Housekeeping, Martha Stewart, CNN, Mashable, Country Living, HGTV, Apartment Therapy, Better Homes & Gardens, Today.com, The Huffington Post, Womens Health, AnaWhite.com, and Woman’s Day among many others.

Melissa has also been featured in two commercials for Country Crock featured on All Recipes and Eating Well. (Commercial shoot pictured below, such a fun experience!) See the commercials here and here on my Instagram.

Melissa Riker on viewing screen shooting a commercial for Country Crock

Featured speaker at these conferences:

Listen to Podcasts featuring Melissa:

How it all started…

I started my first blog in 2007 as a way to stay in touch with family after our oldest son was born during multiple military moves. The Happier Homemaker was started in 2011 while my husband was deployed to Iraq and I was pregnant with my third son, looking for something to occupy my time in those lonely hours after the kids were tucked into bed.

What began as a hobby, just a simple creative outlet to share recipes I made or crafts I did with my children, has turned into a full-time career (!!) complete with writers and photographers, and other support team members located across the US and abroad.

While it has been a crazy road to get The Happier Homemaker to where it is today I would not have it any other way. Helping other families enjoy delicious meals around the table, regardless of how hectic schedules get, is one of my greatest joys. I also love, love, love getting emails from readers who have found my household tips and tricks helpful.

Creating a joyful home shouldn’t have to be hard. Let’s work together to make sure of that!

military dad walking with two sons from behind

Fun Facts About Melissa

  • In addition to three sons ages 12 to 17, we have a lovable Goldendoodle, a Bernese Mountain Dog, and two rescue cats with big personalities!
  • We are a military family (now retired!) that has lived in ten homes in the last 15 years, across three countries and five states! See all the homes we’ve shared over the years here.
  • I’m a Southern girl who grew up in southeastern Virginia and Charleston, South Carolina. We now live in south Georgia and you’ll find a LOT of delicious traditional Southern recipes here on the blog!
  • I’m a passionate follower of Jesus and am currently enrolled in a Master’s degree in Christian Apologetics at Southern Evangelical Seminary.
  • We love to travel and since having children we’ve fallen in love with cruising as well. We try to take a cruise at least once a year!
  • We have a sister site full of no-fuss recipes, we hope you visit Shaken Together Life and love it as much as we do!
  • We have moved much of our DIY and home content to a separate website, you can find it at South Georgia Style.

Our AI (Artificial Intelligence) Policy – 2024

With the advent of ChatGPT and other AI technologies, we have noticed a startling rise in recipe websites created entirely of AI images and recipes. At The Happier Homemaker, we promise to only share kitchen-tested recipes created by REAL HUMAN recipe developers. Our photos are real photos as well, whether taken by myself or one of our talented photographers.

Need to get in touch?

Please note we do not accept guest posts or paid links, no exceptions.

Otherwise, you can Contact Me here.