The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

Archives for October 2020

No.455: My Latest Reads // October 2020

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P.S. I highly recommend Book Outlet!  Use my link to receive $10 off your first order of $25 or more.
P.P.S. Have you heard of Bookshop?  They are an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores.  You can check out all of my favorites on this page and I’ll be linking to Bookshop and Book Outlet as much as I can from here on out.  I hope you’ll support them too!  

#67. THE VERSIONS OF US by Laura Barnett || ★★☆☆☆
Clever premise, but really hard to keep all of the story lines straight.  I also have a huge pet peeve with books that encourage the reader to root for/support infidelity and this book was rife with that.  2.5 stars, rounded up.

#68. THE HOURS OF THE PASSION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST by Luisa Piccarreta || ★★★★☆
This book is a really unique look at the last 24 hours before Jesus’ death.  It’s broken up hour by hour, drawing you into what was happening at that time.  Each hour ends with a short meditation from Luisa’s spiritual director.  I found this deeply moving and powerful and it will be one that I return to again and again.  I think it would be perfect for Lent or for meditating on during a Holy Hour.  (FYI: Luisa Piccarreta has an open cause for canonization and is currently a Servant of God.)
#69. THE DIARY OF MATTIE SPENSER by Sandra Dallas || ★★☆☆☆
I was so disappointed with this book.  For a “19th century pioneer novel,” it sure did sound a lot like modern times – there was much more sexual content than I expected, infidelity (you know how I feel about that) and the positive view on abortion was heavy handed.  I’d pass on this one.  
P.S. These Is My Words is still my favorite in this genre.
#70. MY NAME IS LUCY BARTON by Elizabeth Strout || ★★★☆☆

I have said it before: It interests me how we find ways to feel superior to another person, another group of people.  It happens everywhere, and all the time.  Whatever we call it, I think it’s the lowest part of who we are, this need to find someone else to put down. (p.95)

A quick read.  There wasn’t much of a story, but it did cause me to reflect on things unsaid between people, especially family members.  2.5 stars, rounded up.  

#71. TOWNIE by Andre Dubus III || ★★★☆☆
I’m not quite sure where I heard about this memoir, especially because I’ve never read any of Dubus’ novels.  The book chronicles his childhood following the divorce of his parents and the struggles along the way until he finds his passion for writing in adulthood.  To be honest, this book made me mad.  It’s the story of the consequences of a selfish father, a broken marriage and the effects on children.  It’s the story of a single mother trying to make it work for her four children and the limitations of that.  It’s the story of the lack of positive male role models in a boy’s life.  It’s the story of trauma manifesting itself in unhealthy behavior.  Resilience is admirable but it always comes at a cost.
#72. THE RIVER by Peter Heller || ★★★☆☆
Another pretty quick read.  I heard about this suspense novel from Modern Mrs. Darcy, although many of my friends on Goodreads had already read it with varying reviews.  The writing was good, but I feel like I would have gotten more out of it if I were more of an adventurer type?  Some of the descriptions went right over my head.

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MY READING IN NUMBERS FOR 2020

Books Read: 72
Pages Read: 20,567
Fiction: 41  //  Non-Fiction: 31
Kindle Books: 26  //  Paper Books: 46
20th Century in Books Challenge: 29/100
Original 2020 books “to-read” total on Goodreads: 414 // Current “to-read” total: 370
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No.454: Combating a Crazy World with a Cozy Home

Life feels really heavy right now, you know?  The virus, the election, the nastiness of the Internet…if I stay too long in that stuff, I can start to feel very anxious and overwhelmed.  So to combat that a little, I’ve been using my home as a distraction.  Projects, new décor pieces, paint – it’s all frivolous and silly, but it helps me have a little perspective.  Even if the world around me seems to be going crazy, I can make my home a refuge for my family and all who visit here.
Today let’s chat about a few things happening at the farmhouse:
  

PLANTS EVERYWHERE!

I’m so excited about the dwarf calamondin orange plant I just purchased from Gurney’s Seed & Nursery.  It’s currently living in my bedroom for now since we get the best sunlight there.  Everything I have purchased from Gurney’s has arrived healthy and in great shape and this one was no exception.  Can’t wait to see how it grows.
I also just bought some paperwhite bulbs to force for Christmas from another favorite gardening company, Eden Brothers.  My first time and I’m excited!  (This is also 100LT #45.)  Now to decide what containers I want to grow them in – the images I’ve found on Pinterest are so inspiring.    
In other plant news, I’m slowly collecting houseplants to line the big windowsill in my master bathroom.  I like to plant them in vintage milkglass containers and I just bought a really cute hobnail version on Poshmark.  I used my earnings from things I’ve sold, so it ended up being “free!”  Love when that happens.

LIVING ROOM

Big things are happening in the living room!  We finally ordered a new couch.  Our current couch is about six years old (a sectional from Ikea), didn’t make the move well and has generally been uncomfortable to sit on ever since.  Not to mention that as a puppy, Lucy ripped a big section off the back, so it’s been not only uncomfortable but unsightly too!  We put off replacing it until we reached debt freedom, but you better believe I started saving immediately after we made that last payment.  With COVID, we aren’t really sure when it will be arriving, but praying it comes before Christmas.
The fireplace is also getting a face lift: we’re removing the propane insert and replacing it with a wood-burning one.  (The picture above is the official “before” photo.)  This project has been on our radar for awhile now, but the craziness of 2020 helped us finally pull the trigger.  Even though wood is much more work, we see it as an insurance policy for any possibility of losing power during the winter.  When we’ve lost power here in the past, we never used the fireplace for fear of carbon monoxide poisoning and it was cold.  Having a wood-burning fireplace gives us peace of mind for whatever winter throws our way.    
The fireplace itself is stone with a brown mortar and I’d like to whitewash it or maybe do a German schmear.  I’ve done tons of research, but still haven’t tackled it because it just feels so….final?  What if I hate it?  What if it screams DIY?  I’m plagued by indecision.  I’d also like to add a thick mantel and I need to deal with that ugly clump of wires too.  

MASTER BEDROOM

Last year around this time, one of the kids was jumping on the side rails of our metal bed frame and broke it.  A replacement got pushed to the back burner, but now I’m trying decide if I want another metal version or something different.  I’ve been checking Facebook Marketplace for a deal, but no luck yet.  
In other master bedroom news, I’ve been cozying up the room with a new throw blanket, a new candle, and books everywhere.  Is there really anything better than that?  

No.453: Our Extraordinary Ordinary Life // October 2020

✔  100 LITTLE THINGS #75. Make another Extraordinary Ordinary video.
Saturday was such an incredibly beautiful day, so I pulled out the camera to capture a little of the extraordinary ordinary.  The kids made Pizza Pockets for dinner (a crowd favorite and perfect for the weekend) and we headed out afterward in jammies and sweatshirts for a fire and s’mores.  A good, good day.
P.S. October must be the perfect month for making videos.  Here’s the one I made last year.

No.452: What I Decluttered // October 2020


Month #13 for my 1,000 Item Declutter Challenge!  Here are the ground rules:

  1. Only spend 10 minutes at one time and only in one specific area.  
  2. Monday through Wednesday, seek out items that we no longer need and make a pile.  Then Thursday through Saturday, make a plan for how to deal with them.  (This has worked so well and avoided that dreaded box of “what should I do with these?” items.)
  3. Possible places to find new homes for items: Ebay/Poshmark, Facebook Marketplace, Trash Nothing website or the local Buy Nothing Facebook group and as a last resort, Goodwill

I feel a responsibility for the things I have and want to be intentional with how I dispose of them.  Questions I asked myself: If it’s here, what purpose does it serve?  Can I use it up?  Can I enjoy it vs. keeping it tucked away in drawers and boxes?  And if not, can I let it go to someone who may need it more?

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This was a good month for the challenge!  I’m on the home stretch, can allllmost see the end in sight and that is motivating me to keep going.  This is also “birthday season” for us and with Christmas not too far away, I really want to make space for all of the new things the kids will be receiving.

WHAT I DECLUTTERED THIS MONTH

  • 9 books.
  • One men’s button-down shirt.
  • 2 toddler coats, 2 shirts and a pair of snow boots.  Slowly going through P’s outgrown clothing from last year.  These sold on ebay.
  • 2 sweaters, one dress and 6 tops.
  • One Polish Pottery mug.  This was a tall mug that I used to use as a pen holder, but it has been tucked away for years.  The size is too awkward for drinking coffee, so I cleaned it up, listed it on ebay and it sold for over $9.
  • 2 decorative plates and a fabric banner.  Surprisingly sold on Poshmark!
  • 2 baby fleece sleepers.  I still have a small pile of baby clothes to go through (which are not my absolute favorites that I’ll keep forever, ha!) and while these were a little hard to part with, I’m glad another little guy will be able to use them.
  • 2 skincare samples.
  • 3 bags of shredded paper.
  • One sham/pillowcase.  Some of the boys have Ikea duvets on their beds.  They don’t use the matching sham/pillowcase and they’ve just been sitting in the linen closet.  I decided to see if I could get a buyer on ebay…and I did!  Sold for $4.
  • 6 old workbooks and 2 magazines.  Into the recycling bin.
  • 2 DVDs.
  • One wallet and one makeup pouch. 
  • One belt.
  • One teacher manual.  I’m just about through all of my unneeded school books!  Sold on ebay.
  • One Arc Paper Punch.  A long time ago, I used the Arc notebook system (you know the one with the discs?) to make a type of DIY planner.  It quickly became too much to keep up with, so I bought a cheap planner at the store and this paper punch sat in my closet ever since.  It surprisingly sold within days on ebay for $25!
  • One vanity mirror.  We replaced the mirror in Sophie’s bathroom and gave the old one away via Trash Nothing.
  • One pair of sandals.  D wore his Under Armor slides to shreds this summer!  Into the trash can.
  • One broken fan and a broken soccer chair.  Into the trash can.
  • One welcome mat.
  • A pillow, duvet cover and two shams.
  • One Halloween decoration.
  • One nursing tank.  I’ve had this listed for almost a year(!!) and it finally sold on Poshmark.
  • 7 pieces of Sophie’s outgrown clothes.  
  • 3 light fixtures.  After three years in this house, we’re finally starting to replace the lighting with something a bit more our style.  These fixtures are all in working condition so we donated them to our local Habitat for Humanity ReStore.
Items decluttered this month: 72
Money made this month: $140.59

Total items decluttered so far: 787
Total money made so far: $1,187.40


P.S. To “count,” the item had to physically leave my house.  So while I have listed a handful of things online, those aren’t counted until they have sold.

No.451: Last Week at the Farmhouse // A Productive Fall Break & a New Quilt

Mark decided to take Tuesday through Friday off from work.  Working 100% from home is a huge blessing, but it also comes with challenges and it’s hard to make a clear line between work and home.  He definitely needed the break.  We have never taken a school “Fall Break” before, but a four-day staycation with our favorite person was enough to convince me. But don’t think we spent an entire week just laying around!

While the kids were celebrating a vacation from math, Mark and I saw this break as a chance to catch up on life.  A little deep cleaning and organizing and the perfect window of time to complete two big projects outside: making a firepit and prepping the outside perimeter of the garden for a cottage garden next spring.  We had soil and gravel delivered and spent most mornings all working together to move it to its proper place.  My shoulders are still sore from all the trips with the wheel barrow!  We were finished by Friday afternoon (just in time for rainy weather to roll in) and celebrated with our first fire and s’mores.  I still need to buy some Adirondack chairs to go around the firepit, but our outdoor deck chairs did the trick in the meantime.  So fun.
I think I’ve mentioned here before that the quilt on my bed had gotten a few holes in it and I was on the search for a new one.  I wanted a simple white quilt and that proved way harder to find than I expected!  I finally found an option at Pottery Barn, but the price was a little steep.  So I started browsing on ebay every few days and finally found the exact one for considerably cheaper!  I also had some money in my Paypal account from selling a few things (thank you, 1000 Item Declutter Challenge) so the grand total was just around $50.  It really pays to be patient and check often!  Next up on the bedroom to-do list is a headboard.  I enjoy the hunt.
After a productive week, I somehow came down with a sore throat and head cold and spent the weekend in bed.  Not exactly how I planned to spend my birthday, but the kids were so sweet to me and spoiled me with their cards and gifts.  I asked for and received new slippers and flannel pajamas – I’m a boring old lady and I don’t care who knows it, ha!  I am counting down the days until it’s chilly enough to wear them.  And praise be to God, that weekend rest did the trick and I’m already on the mend.  Looking forward to the week ahead.

No.450: Five Good Things // No.03

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1 // A NEW PUZZLE
One good thing that has come from 2020 is our new love for family puzzles!  We took a break through the summer, but I bought this United States of America puzzle from Mudpuppy to get us back into the habit.  It is 1,000 pieces, very colorful and has lots of fun details.  More importantly, the pieces are sturdy and uniquely cut…nothing is more frustrating than buying a cheap puzzle where every single piece is the same shape.  You can find it on Amazon, sometimes your local bookstore (even through Bookshop!) or there’s even a few on eBay too.

2 // A REUSABLE OPTION FOR LEFTOVER BITS AND PIECES
My older kids cook a lot of their own breakfasts and lunches (omelettes, stir frys, etc.) and we always seem to have sandwich baggies full of half-used onions or peppers in the fridge.  I wanted a less wasteful option, so I found Stashers!  They are reusable, silicone bags that are dishwasher safe and come in tons of sizes and colors.  I bought mine from Freckled Hen Farmhouse, but you can find them on Amazon too.

3 // THIS INSTAGRAM POST FROM ROSIE

I’ve all but abandoned my public Instagram account, but hopped on recently to check on a notification.  The first post I saw before closing out was Rosie’s above…and can I just say, AMEN?  In my almost 14 years of motherhood, I learned pretty quickly that if I wanted a houseful of children AND my sanity…well, a perfectly curated, always tidy home was out of the question for awhile.  It’s a special kind of “death to self”, a forced (but necessary) lesson in letting go of control and perfection.  Messes still drive me completely crazy, but I’m hoping they’re sanctifying me a little bit too.   
4 // A NEW WAY OF KEEPING TRACK OF ALL THE THINGS
I’m typically a planner girl, but this summer, I kept track of my to-do list with an old notepad that I used to sell back in the BWF days.  I recently used the last page so I quickly purchased another weekly notepad (but in a new design!) from 1canoe2.  They also sell this mint version, which is beautiful too.

5 // A NEW TO ME YOUTUBE CHANNEL
I somehow stumbled onto a Youtube channel called Megan Fox Unlocked, who is a young Mennonite wife and mother.  Her video about Assumptions was so interesting to me and I learned a lot about her life and Mennonite beliefs.  It made me wonder – what must people assume about ME?  I’m not sure I’m brave enough to ask, ha!


No.449: Homemaking Notes on a Monday // Vol.04

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The weather outside is // 

On the breakfast plate this morning // Like most mornings, I have oatmeal and a cup of coffee.  I went a little overboard on caffeine this spring (like four big cups a day overboard), but have been working to reduce that significantly.  I’m down to one morning cup and one in the afternoon.  Baby steps.

As I look outside my window // I wish I could adequately describe how beautiful it is outside right now!  We have a handful of different species of trees and they seem to stagger their color changing – first the gold/yellow, then the deep orange/red.  I love it.

As I look around the house // my brain is bursting with ideas to make our home feeling a little more cozy.  (This post started me down this road.)  We could definitely use a few more blankets and I’m still on the hunt for a new living room rug.  I may need to reread Homebody for inspiration again too.

 In the garden // it’s looking pretty bare.  The summer crops and flowers have all been ripped out and while I started the fall planting with great enthusiasm…I’ve since fizzled out, ha.  I still have lettuce, carrots and broccoli looking okay, but I’m not giving them nearly the same amount of love I did this spring.  

On this week’s to-do list //
  • get a good start on the Fall Cleaning Checklist
  • make leaf “mulch” for the garden beds
  • list five things on eBay
  • deep clean the kitchen
  • choose clothes so we can take family pictures (ourselves)

On the menu this week //

Monday: sheetpan sausage and veggies with rice
Tuesday: Taco Tuesday
Thursday: slow cooker beef stroganoff and egg noodles 
Friday: tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches

Currently reading // I’m returning to my love of pioneer fiction with The Diary of Mattie Spenser by Sandra Dallas.  I’ve also started the Consecration to St. Joseph by Fr. Donald Calloway and Hungry Souls: Supernatural Visits, Messages, and Warnings from Purgatory by Gerard J.M. Van Den Aardweg.

What I’m creating at the moment // My Mother Culture assignment for October is to catch up on all.the.things, so I’m trying to do at least a few stitches on my scrap quilt every day.  I’m not sure I’ll finish the entire top this month, but I’m going to try! 

New recipe I want to try this week // 100 Little Things task #6 is to make cinnamon rolls from scratch.  This apple pie version looks like a fun twist.

No.448: Mother Culture Commonplace Book // September 2020

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“Mother Culture,” an idea from Charlotte Mason and coined by Karen Andreola, simply encourages mothers to keep learning and growing, even while raising children.  Andreola describes it this way: 

Mother Culture® is a way-of-life, the skillful art of how a mother looks after the ways of her household. With a thinking-love she creates a culture in the home all her own. A mother does a lot of taking care, so she needs to take care of herself, too. Much depends on how she manages her life. 

I resonate with this encouragement because it feels like I have someone in my corner, someone looking out for me as I do the hard work of motherhood.  Taking the time to gain new knowledge/skills really fills my cup and I think my children notice.  So with that in mind, I’m committing to my own set of monthly assignments this school year!  September was a bit of a wash, but here’s what I did:  

✔ ASSIGNMENT #1: Start reading Home by Marilynne Robinson along with the Close Reads Podcast.
It’s been a long time since I’ve deeply pondered a work of literature.  Since I don’t belong to a book club, I usually just read a book at face value and move on.  Some effect me more deeply than others, but for the most part, I don’t take the time to hash out overarching themes and word choices and other literary things.  Reading Home along with the Close Reads Podcast has been a fun change of pace and I’m really enjoying it.  I read ahead and finished the book, but these are the two episodes I’ve listened to so far:



✔ ASSIGNMENT #2: Research edible plants that grow in my area.

Native fruit and nut trees can be grown to produce food for people and/or wildlife while protecting soil, water and air quality.  Because they are multifunctional, native fruit and nut trees and shrubs are prime candidates for agroforestry plantings and home landscaping.

I found a really cool resource from Virginia Tech describing some of the edible fruit and nut trees that grow in my area.  There’s everything from a black walnut tree to an Allegheny blackberry bramble to a pawpaw tree.  I hope to take this knowledge and use it to purchase specific species of plants that will thrive here.  Setting myself up for success! 


✔ ASSIGNMENT #3: Buy the supplies needed to learn how to crochet.
Learning to crochet is something I have wanted to learn for years and years.  To make things a little less overwhelming, I decided to break this task into tiny goals and this month was the easiest: buy some supplies.  I have no idea if this yarn is appropriate or even any good, but the price was right and the colors were pretty.

And the two assignments I didn’t get to:

✘ ASSIGNMENT #4: Discover and listen to another new musician.
✘ ASSIGNMENT #5: Learn about a new saint.



For October, I’m planning to circle back and finish the last two assignments.  I also think I’ll take this month to finish the top of my hand-sewed scrap quilt before starting in on crochet lessons.  One thing at a time, right?  So October: a month for finishing what I’ve started.  Here we go!

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