The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

No.893: Plan With Me for February 2025

I’m trying something a little different for goal planning this school year.  My new motto: we are not machines, we don’t have infinite energy levels, we can only do so much!  Hopefully this new method will help me reduce my stress and prioritize the right things at the right times.

If I could describe January in one word, I would say “peaceful.”  Sure, we had frigid temperatures and snow that wouldn’t melt and illness and flooring repair delays, but there were significantly more good things to offset those frustrations.  Late last year, I started to see how my stress affected my children and I was very ashamed.  I promised myself in 2025 that I would stop stress at the start, choosing to trust that all would be well and God would provide.  One month in and that small mindset has been life-changing for me and the general atmosphere of my home.  What a blessing.

Onto the goals!  Let’s review January first:

FIVE TOP PRIORITIES
  1. commit to Low Spend January (This turned out to be a bust as we had farm purchases and a couple of celebrations to pay for, but intentionally looking at the budget is always a good habit to cultivate.)
  2. get back to carnivore/paleo/keto (I hate labels, but I’m basically just trying to eliminate sugar and bread.  I derailed quite a bit when I was sick but am slowly getting back on track.  Considering it a win.)
  3. order a new hot wire energizer for the pigs ($300 but definitely a must-have around here.)
  4. brainstorm new chicken tractor construction (We had snow on the ground and frigid temperatures for most of the month and I was more focused on keeping animals warm and dry than prepping for the future.  Next month!)
  5. finish the house sampler cross-stitch project (DONE!  I’m so excited.)
FIVE “WOULD BE GREAT TO DO” TASKS
  1. embrace the slow cooker/Dutch oven for easy dinners (I think I only pulled out the slow cooker once?)
  2. drop off donations (So happy to have those bags and boxes out of my trunk!)
  3. start making the 2025 garden plan
  4. mend two dresses that have slits a little too high (An easy fix.)
  5. send at least one piece of snail mail (Just one birthday card.  I need to get back into the habit.)
FIVE LITTLE STEPS TO GET AHEAD
  1. debt reduction: earn $100+ reselling unneeded items around the house (Final amount earned: $135.26)
  2. mother academia: read Hamlet
  3. home projects: declutter 30+ things to donate, sell or throw away (I ended up not using the calendar and just found random items from everywhere.  42 more items to toss, sell or donate.)
  4. health: schedule bloodwork
  5. farm: inventory remaining seed packets and make a list of what is needed

On to February’s goals!

FIVE TOP PRIORITIES

These tasks tend to have deadlines or really should be completed this month.

  1. get the paperwork ready for taxes and complete
  2. research the gums regeneration routine, buy the supplies and follow the protocol
  3. put piglets out on pasture
  4. start a “Christmas Club” savings line into our budget (taking the total amount I will need and dividing that number by 9 to find out how much to save – I start shopping early!)
  5. set up the seed starting station
FIVE “WOULD BE GREAT TO DO” TASKS

Examples of these tasks would be seasonal goals or things that just generally have less urgency.

  1. comment on at least ten blog posts
  2. complete Patsi’s (at A Working Pantry) preparedness class
  3. inventory and purchase everyone’s needed socks, undies, undershirts, etc.
  4. get a frame for my completed cross-stitch project
  5. restart a regular listing routine for Poshmark/Pango/ebay
FIVE LITTLE STEPS TO GET AHEAD

This area is for big, overwhelming goals that can be broken down into bite-sized, attainable steps.

  1. debt reduction: earn $100+ reselling unneeded items around the house
  2. mother academia: read Civil War Wives
  3. home projects: survive the hardwood flooring replacement!
  4. handmade Christmas: complete one cross-stitch ornament
  5. farm: start seeds

No.892: Last Week at the Farmhouse // To Be Like Tasha Tudor

Baking Print by Tasha Tudor

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission of any sale made at no extra cost to you.

I’ve recently been on a Tasha Tudor deep dive.  This week, I watched a documentary about her called Take Joy! The Magical World of Tasha Tudor.  (I don’t have Amazon Prime, but was able to purchase it for $1.99.)  There’s something special about learning about a person through their own words, their own stories.  I found her to be eccentric and quirky, but also warm and welcoming and unapologetic about who she is and what she’s passionate about.

The more I reflect, the more I think I want to be a bit more like Tasha Tudor.  I want to pursue my passions of frugality and farming and learning all.the.things without fear of what others may think.  I want to live simply and beautifully, even if that doesn’t look like the lives of most people.  I want to create a home atmosphere of creativity and usefulness and encourage my children in their individual pursuits.

One quote from the documentary really spoke to me so I jotted it down: “Tasha is not escaping from reality.  Rather, she is choosing to create the world the way she imagines it.”  I believe the world is full of the good, the true and the beautiful.  My quest is to intentionally create a life that reflects it.

Hoping to document 52 weeks of good things!

Five Good Things…

  1. Stitching every day. // I started a new project called “Seeds of Kindness” by Scattered Seed Samplers and it’s coming together quickly.  I love adding a few stitches here and there throughout the day.
  2. Starting the driving school process again. // We have another teenager so close to getting his license!
  3. A hardwood flooring update. // The flooring has been purchased, a POD container ordered and the work scheduled.  So excited to get this big undertaking started.
  4. Mending my favorite pair of jeans. // I accidentally snagged my favorite pair of jeans on a hog panel and was so bummed.  But then!  Building off of my frugality high, I decided that it wouldn’t hurt to try to mend them before just throwing them away.  Thank goodness for my little sewing basket!  I used these denim iron-on patches (ironed from the inside) and this thread and I think it turned out well!
  5. A new project bag. // My “making do” project of the week: I watched a few cross-stitch ladies on Youtube and they all seemed to keep their projects in beautiful fabric bags.  I was about to look for options on etsy when I decided I would try to make one myself!  I used a variety of fabrics (an old chambray shirt, a polka dot pillowcase and a few pieces from my grandmother’s stash) and followed this tutorial.  It was pretty challenging and I made a lot of mistakes but I’m excited to try again soon.

Frugal Accomplishments //

  • cut down another one of my husband’s old dress shirts for the fabric and buttons
  • listed a few things on Poshmark
  • made broth from frozen chicken backs for the pigs
  • found a few pieces of clothing for a son in the hand-me-down bins

This Week in the Liturgical Year //

January 27 was the Optional Memorial of St. Angela Merici.

To Read: January Ends with Three Italian Educators

To Add to the Library: The Incorruptibles by Joan Carroll Cruz

To Pray: Litany of St. Angela Merici

 

 

 

Reading //

  • Are Social Media Platforms the Next Dying Malls? from Ted Gioia at The Honest Broker // “Not long ago, we hoped that these artificial gathering places could be robust, vital replacements for the neighborhoods we tore down. But what I’ve learned is that you pay a heavy price for replacing a real community with a fake one.”
  • Otium Omnia Vincit from Christopher Whittington at On Love and Longing // “I made myself out to be merely a laborer, a body put to work, a ‘Cog in the Machine,’ as they say. A worker, on the other hand, is one who applies themselves, either physically or mentally, to a task for the sake of creating or sustaining beauty. This is not to say that only the artist or poet is a ‘worker’ as such or that they are never laborers, but the privileged vocation of work is reserved for those who persevere in labor in order to sustain a life which partakes in beauty.”
  • Simple Acts of Sanity: A Seed Catalogue from Peco and Ruth Gaskovski at Pilgrims in the Machine

New Additions to The List // 

Watching/Listening //

Loving //

from the archives…

WEEK FIVE 2024 // Raising My Ebenezer

No.891: February Little Things Bingo

I had so much fun making January’s bingo board last year that I decided to make another one for February!  Just like before, the board has 24 free or inexpensive tasks that will hopefully bring joy, peace and/or a boost of creativity.  We’ll see how many I can check off the list.  If you need a little something to get you through this month, feel free to play along too!

The tasks are:

  • Go for a 20 minute walk outside. // A prompt from January’s board that is worth repeating!  Breathe deep in the winter air and get that blood flowing.
  • Send someone a valentine. // Some ideas: this garland mailer or this DIY Valentine’s Day in a box looks so fun!  I also loved this envelope decoration.
  • Watch a documentary. // Let’s learn something!  I’m especially interested in choosing something from this world history documentary Youtube channel.
  • Give $5 to a favorite charity or blogger. // Little amounts still matter!
  • Bake cupcakes. // Lots of delicious choices: make a classic flavor like vanilla or chocolate or try something unique like salted caramel or even chocolate chip!
  • Light a new candle. // A similar challenge is to use up a candle you’ve already started burning.
  • Clean unnecessary photos off of the phone. // I desperately need to do this!  So many times I take multiple photos (to get the best one) and then never delete the extras after.
  • Stretch. // As we get older, our mobility becomes more and more important.  A great habit to incorporate to avoid injury.
  • Buy some flowers. // I’m going to be on the lookout for ranunculus.
  • Paint, sketch or draw. // This can be as complicated as completing a watercolor course to just doodling in the margins of your planner.  It all counts!
  • Declutter ten items. // Bonus points if you can declutter more than ten.
  • Make a garden plan. // Even though it doesn’t feel like it, spring planting is right around the corner!  Browse through seed catalogs or websites and choose a few to grow this year.
  • Do a random act of kindness. // The possibilities are endless, but this is a great list to get the ideas flowing.  (I have an old post with some ideas too.)
  • Make a new soup. // Chilly evenings call for something warm in your belly.  This post has a lot of delicious options.
  • Invite someone over. // Consider this a gentle push toward inviting someone over for dinner or even just a play date.
  • Take a nap. // A luxury for most of us!
  • Read a love story. // I’m not a big romance reader, but two books on my TBR are Green Dolphin Street by Elizabeth Goudge and The Good Part by Sophie Cousens.
  • Play a board game. // I’m thinking we need to pull out our Scrabble board.
  • Clean your bedding. // Time to wash those quilts and duvets.  Washing your bed pillows would be an accomplishment too.
  • Order new skincare. // A similar task would be to just start using the skincare you already own!  I definitely need to be better about creating a routine in this area.
  • Wear something pink or red. // I’m not sure I even have clothing in those two colors, but we’ll see.
  • Deep clean the pantry. // A great opportunity to inventory what you own and prioritize food that is about to expire.
  • Feed the birds. // This activity looks easy and fun.
  • Make a homemade pizza. // Yum.

DOWNLOAD YOUR OWN BINGO BOARD HERE!

Help me transition away from “traditional” blogging income streams while still keeping the lights on at the BWF!

No.890: What I Read in January 2025

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission of any sale made at no extra cost to you.

#1. FINLAY DONOVAN IS KILLING IT by Elle Cosimano // ★★★☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)

This book is about a writer who is overheard discussing the plot of her new suspense novel.  She is mistaken for a contract killer and the shenanigans begin!  A fast, easy, entertaining read to start the new year.  My only critique is that I didn’t really like the romance parts, but that’s just personal preference.  Guess I’m not a fan of the “suspense romance” genre.  3.5 stars.  (And thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book!)

#2. MRS. POLLIFAX AND THE HONG KONG BUDDHA by Dorothy Gilman // ★★★★☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)

Number seven in the series!  I liked how characters from previous books made a return appearance.  This book was centered around a terrorist attack and it was interesting to hear perennial thoughts on evil from a book written in 1985.  Like this quote:

“But terrorists–” He shook his head.  “They’re the parasites of the century.  They want to make a statement, they simply toss a bomb or round up innocent people to hold hostage, or kill without compunction, remorse or compassion.  If they need money, they simply rob a bank.  I have to admit not only my contempt for them,” he added, “but my fear, too, because their only passion is to mock and destroy, and that really is frightening.” (p.127)

#3. WITH MALICE TOWARD NONE: A BIOGRAPHY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN by Stephen B. Oates // ★★★★☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)

This biography was a highly readable, honest look at Abraham Lincoln: a melancholic, inexperienced man trying to do his best.  Reading about this testy time in American history also made it evident that politics is always the same – so many opinions from a bunch of hotheads!

In 1864, in a biographical assessment published in two Boston journals, [Harriet Beecher Stowe] extolled Lincoln as a man of peculiar strengths, not a strong, aggressive individual so much as a passive one with the durability of an iron cable, swaying back and forth in the tempest of politics, yet tenacious in carrying his “great end.”  “Surrounded by all sorts of conflicting claims, by traitors, by half-hearted, timid men, by Border States men, and Free States men, by radical Abolitionists and Conservatives, he has listened to all, weighed the words of all, waited, observed, yielded now here and now there, but in the main kept one inflexible, honest purpose, and drawn the national ship through.” (p.389)

#4. BLUE SHOES AND HAPPINESS by Alexander McCall Smith // ★★★☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)

Number seven in the No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series!  I haven’t read a book in this series since September 2021 so it was nice to return to Botswana and Mma Ramotswe.  This was a meandering story with no strong plot line, typical of Alexander McCall Smith’s writing.  Cozy, but probably forgettable.

#5. SECRET SOLDIERS by Keely Hutton // ★★★★☆
(amazon // better world books)  

A young adult novel recommended to me by my son.  This was fascinating historical fiction about tunnel warfare during WWI.  I’m interested to learn more about this aspect of war.  I loved the brotherhood theme throughout this book too.

“Bats said after shifts last summer he’d come out here and sit among the poppies to remember that even in the middle of all this fighting and death, beauty still exists and life continues.” (p.144)

#6. NO FEAR SHAKESPEARE: HAMLET by William Shakespeare // ★★★☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)

I took this “No Fear Shakespeare” version of Hamlet off of our school shelves and it proved helpful.  I also read the play alongside the 1948 rendition starring Laurence Olivier.  I still don’t know if I completely got it, but I did identify it as a tale of failed revenge as Hamlet has an existential crisis of who he is and what he needs to do.  Definitely would like to revisit it with a professional on Shakespeare someday.  (Ellen says Dr. Henry Russell is excellent!)

#7. KENNEDY’S AVENGER: ASSASSINATION, CONSPIRACY, AND THE FORGOTTEN TRIAL OF JACK RUBY by Dan Abrams // ★★★☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)  

This book was focused on the JFK assassination and subsequent shenanigans from a new-to-me viewpoint: the court system.  I enjoyed reading what amounted to transcripts rewritten in prose.  It’s really interesting to think that Ruby’s murder of Lee Harvey Oswald was played on television, giving the world access to this information before the trial.  It also highlighted the question of how modern technology impacts the legal system – I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to find truly impartial jurors in the age of social media.  3.5 stars.

MY 2025 UNREAD SHELF PROJECT

Unread Books as of January 1, 2025: 206
Books Finished in January: 7
Books Donated/Sold in January: -0
Books Added: +0
Unread Books Remaining: 202
Current  “Read 100 Books Off My Shelves Project” Total: 11/100 

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