The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

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!

Less Materialism, More Intentional Living

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