Archives for October 2016

A collection of our ordinary days, recorded every week.

Around here, I have been:


experiencing Braxton Hicks for the first time ever, which is catching me off guard! Typically only around dinner time and once or twice a day, but definitely crampy enough to make me stop and notice.  Six weeks to go – the end is near!    


getting started on Christmas shopping.  We’ve decided to make things SUPER easy for us this year.  We typically only do three presents and stockings for each child, but this year, we’re doing two individual gifts each and then a gift for all of the kids collectively (and simple stockings too, of course).  The idea of shopping after giving birth really stresses me out, so I’m hoping to get most of it accomplished in the next few weeks.  And the extended family may all be getting IOUs!  Apologies ahead of time, family.

laughing at Sophie and her 4-year-old shenanigans. Almost every morning, she brings a lunchbox and flower girl basket full of random stuff to drop off the boys at school.  She’s suddenly really into makeup and has been “painting” her nails with pink crayons.  She’s declared M to be her favorite brother because “he is just so nice to me and he keeps me safe.”  Three words she says incorrectly and I don’t want to forget: “brabo” (bravo), “pla-nano” (piano) and “syr-ee-up” (syrup). 


watching The Chase, a game show we found on Netflix.  Mark and I try to keep up with the trivia until our heads start spinning, hah.


collecting non-perishables for the St. Lucy Project at church.  I’m so grateful for projects like these because they are so easy and family-friendly.  We talk a lot to the kids about taking care of our friends who may be going through a hard time and it’s so beautiful to hear their innocent reactions.  It typically starts with a sad “I can’t believe that…” which quickly turns to “Well, we have more than enough!  Let’s give them this and this and this…”  The kids each picked a few things to include in our bag (which I ordered on Jet, along with our other groceries) and they are so excited to lug it back to church next week.

finding a few postpartum items on ThredUp (as part of 100 Little Things #85).  I also picked up these dishcloths and love them.  They reminded me so much of the one’s my Gram used to make and I know they’ll get tons of use.  (I was also tempted by Theresa’s storage baskets and doughnuts for Sophie’s kitchen…be sure to check out all she offers!)  


(finally) figuring out the dresser dilemma!  Poor Mark…he’s heard me talk about this dresser for months now!  In the end, after months of thrift store browsing, Craigslist and FB group searching and coming up empty, we decided to go in a totally different direction.  The three big boys had been sharing (and quickly outgrowing) one dresser, so we took that for TJ and the new baby and are creating a closet system for the boys’ room instead.  Surprisingly, in the end, it was actually cheaper too.


reading My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry.

mailing gratitude postcards to our Big White Farmhouse 2016 customers.  With a million different stores to choose from, we are just so thankful for everyone who supports ours and we really wanted to tell our customers how much we appreciate their role in making 2016 our best year in business yet!  

listening to the boys share about their fun-filled days at school.  D had a field trip and is working on a pumpkin book report project (Batman, of course).  J had a community helper parade and chose to be a firefighter.  M is in a classroom book club and is reading a book where he found a cuss word.  He was shocked and definitely not expecting that in a fourth grade novel (“and recommended by a teacher even, Mom!” he said, hahaha), but it was a good opportunity to chat about not-so-nice words that we probably should avoid saying.  Life lessons.


baking Oatmeal Toffee Cookies (minus the coconut).  They looked pretty terrible (like flat hockey pucks), but were still delicious.  I also brought out the bread machine again and timed it for an “as fresh from the oven as it’s going to get” after-school snack.    

A collection of our ordinary days, recorded every week.

identifying with these words from Elizabeth Foss that describe me to a T: “This journey to silence the voice has been an arduous uphill climb. Through the perfect storm of nature and nurture, perfectionism and self-recrimination are hardwired into my psyche. I’ve been one to try too hard, move too fast, produce too much and reach too high for as long as I can remember. All my life, I have lived with the exhaustion and utter despair of never measuring up to my own perfectionistic standards.”  The past few weeks have been difficult because I feel like I physically can’t keep up with my brain!  There are so many things I want to accomplish, but the exhaustion is unreal.  I’ll wake up in the morning ready to take on the world, but will have to lay down a bit on the couch by 11am.  I’ve been trying to be okay with a little more clutter than usual, a little more television watching than usual and a lot less checked off my to-do list.  To everything there is a season and this is the season to start slowing down, no guilt allowed.  God always uses pregnancy to work on my heart…how quickly I forget every time.         

A collection of our ordinary days, recorded every week.

Around here, I have been:


loving this cooler fall weather!  It’s finally staying consistently brisk, although the extended forecast predicts temperatures back up in the 70’s soon. WHY?!  In the meantime, we’ve been pulling out our “comfy pants” and all the quilts and blankets.  The challenge is on to see how long we can go before putting on the heat!

celebrating my birthday – 32!  What is it about your 30’s that makes you think about your own mortality?  Life is truly so fleeting and more than ever, I just feel so thankful for my health and the life Mark and I have created.  My birthday has become just one big day of gratitude.  
    
feeling the nesting urge again.  I’m 32 weeks pregnant this week, so only 56 days (or less) to go!  For whatever reason, 8 weeks sounds like forever, but 56 days?!  That will be here in no time!  This week, I took out all of the newborn clothes, took inventory and starting purchasing the missing pieces.  As baby boy #5, most of our clothes have had it, so it’s been kind-of fun to start over.  I’m finding I’m much more picky than the first few times around.  Also!  The baby seems to have moved a bit, so the debilitating sciatica has lessened.  Thank you Jesus.   


wearing lots of striped shirts.  I’ve been picking up a few pieces (like these from Gap Maternity and a few lucky finds on Kidizen!) and poor Mark can’t keep up with what’s new or not.  But they’re all different!   Black with white stripes, navy with light blue stripes, black with grey stripes…hah!  I have a problem.  Feeling whale-like probably isn’t the best time to wear horizontal lines across your body, but I’m going with it anyway.  A few of my other favorite pieces to note: My chambray shirt is getting a lot of use (with a striped shirt underneath of course) and looks semi-pulled together with leggings.  I also pulled out my old Minnetonka moccs and love how easy they are to put on and take off.  ‘Cause Mama only bends over when absolutely necessary these days.

dealing with Sophie and some sudden fears about having bad dreams.  She’s been coming in our bed every night, so we set up a cot on the floor as a compromise.  It was meant to be a temporary, last ditch effort, but she seems to think she’s moving in.  I found her “bed” made and decorated with all the essentials! (I had a big laugh about the wiffle bat! #preparedforanything)


listening to Fountain of Carrots’ podcast with Anna of In Honor of Design.  Such wise advice about juggling motherhood and business.


thinking a lot about the upcoming postpartum time and how to keep my PPD in check.  Having had a history of varying degrees with each of my kids (with the exception of TJ), it’s part of the whole “having a baby” business that really takes the most of my focus.  I did the same with TJ and the change was really significant.  Hoping I can follow the same path with this new baby too.

laughing with the kids as we read Those Darn Squirrels!  The grumpy man reminds me of Ove (from A Man Called Ove): crusty exterior with a sweet spot deep inside.  A good reminder to all of us not to judge a book by its cover.  J also borrowed The Pigeon Needs a Bath from the school library and I could barely read over the belly laughs.  On a different note, I read Angel in the Waters to Sophie and TJ and starting crying about halfway through.  They kept looking at me like I was crazy as I tried to make my way through the last half, hah.


reading Father Elijah and getting ready to start My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry for book club.


doing a lot of behind-the-scenes work for Big White Farmhouse: SEO, descriptions and titles, etc.  Pretty boring stuff, but I’m hoping it will help us a little in the search engines.  I also launched a new Christmas section and started adding some product (ornaments, cards, and tags).  I know some people are extra on the ball and I don’t want to miss out on those possible sales like I did last year.

getting so excited about the support for our Pajama Drive.  At last count, we have 6 donations!  New pajamas seem so insignificant, but can be life-changing for a child in foster care or at the homeless shelter.  I often put myself in their mamas’ shoes and get all choked up.  (Here’s the link again to the Amazon wishlist – we’d love your help too!) 


reflecting on an interesting tidbit I heard on the radio this week about listening.  The guest made the observation that today more than ever, people don’t really know the art of active listening.  Instead of really hearing what the other person is saying, they’re just waiting for that person to finish talking so they can make their own arguments.  This behavior is so clearly seen on Facebook statuses and even presidential debates, but aren’t I also sometimes guilty in my marriage and with my children?  We all belong to each other.  Maybe respectful, active listening is the first tiny step toward more peace and kindness in this world. 

A collection of our ordinary days, recorded every week.

Around here, I have been:


feeling all the lovey-dovey emotions that come with a wedding and even more so because the groom was my brother!  I cry at everything lately, but got emotional at least 10 times that day.  There is something so incredibly beautiful about watching my brother so happy and to witness how much his wife truly knows and adores him.  I am excited for them and their future together and SO excited to not be the only married sibling anymore!


wearing this dress from Asos Maternity.  I needed something semi-fancy but comfortable, and this dress was perfect.  My decision to wear heels at 30 weeks pregnant, though?  Still paying for that one, hah!  At least I looked put together in the pictures 🙂   


reflecting on a prayer from the wedding Mass that really stood out to me: “May the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob be with you, and may He fulfill His blessings in you, that you may see your children’s children even to the third and fourth generation, and thereafter may have life everlasting, by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who with the Father and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth forever. Amen.” (emphasis mine)  Mark and I talk all the time about growing old and seeing our children grow and start families of their own.  We imagine our huge, noisy crowd and how big of a table we’re going to need to build for Sunday dinners.  I think of my own family and how my great-grandmother (the beloved matriarch and inspiration for both this blog and the shop) lived to see four generations before her death.  What a privilege!  Because at the end of the day, our children are our greatest gift and what truly is more important than family?  

finishing The Gap of Time and moving on to Father Elijah.  


smiling at Sophia as she chatted non-stop on our drive home from bringing the boys to school one day: “Mama, the sun is so bright.  The sun is shining in my eyes.  I think the sun is following me ‘cuz it likes me.”

loving the Our Lady of Grace felt doll we ordered for Sophie.  She has such a special love for Mary.    

entering Q4 with Big White Farmhouse and I’m so pumped!  I keep reading and researching and my to-do list keeps growing, but at the end of the day, I’m just going to finish what I can and call it good.  This business is a marathon, not a sprint!  (As much as I wish we would have become a huge, overnight success, I think our growth rate is a much better fit for my current lifestyle anyway)  A few other notes:
+ We’re working on a Customer Appreciation surprise for our 2016 customers and are really excited about it!  Working behind the computer screen can sometimes feel impersonal and one-sided and we really want to thank our BWF family for their part in shopping small and supporting small artisans.  
+ Starting prep for the holidays with a few fun gift ideas!  This week, I ordered new garden markers for the Christmas season and some hand-stamped forks perfect for Thanksgiving.  Should arrive in the next few weeks.
+ We’re having a little candle sale this weekend with all of our fall scents being 15% off: Cozy Cabin, Sweater Weather, Mulled Cider and Pumpkin Caramel Latte.     


hobbling around after Tick-Tock Croc attacked me!  Okay, so not exactly true, but that’s the story I told the kids.  Before going to bed one night, I stepped on TJ’s little plastic toy and it was so unexpected and painful, I saw stars!  My inner foot bruised and swelled and I’ve been walking funny (even more so than usual, if that’s possible) in the days since.  Lesson learned to have all the toys picked up before dark!  

baking chocolate chip cookie in a cup, which isn’t really the same thing, but gets the job done.  I have been so good with sugar consumption (my finicky taste buds just haven’t craved it), but this last week has been bad – I want it all!  That and cheddar popcorn…pregnancy is weird.  

watching Madam Secretary, Longmire, and The Mysteries of Laura.