The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

No.437: Last Week at the Farmhouse // A Flat Tire & the Last Days of Summer Break

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What a week!  It started with a flat tire.  Simple enough to deal with, right?  Oh man, it turned into a fiasco.  We tried to remove the tire so we could put on the spare and drive to the mechanic, but it would.not.budge.  For two days, we tried everything, bought a few supplies to lift the SUV better, watched all the tips and tricks on Youtube, but to no avail.  We ended up calling a tow truck (to the tune of $100) and having to replace the one tire since it was too big of a hole to patch.  Since we were at the mechanic anyway, we decided to get Mark’s car inspected and were told that he needed all new brake pads to pass.  Later in the week, I checked our propane levels on a whim, only to discover that it was muuuuch lower than we thought and had to quickly make an appointment to fill the tank.  Money’s just flying out the window at this point.  
Other than that, it was a flurry of final school planning and project finishing as we prepare for our school year to begin on August 17.  The kids won’t admit it, but I think we’re all ready for a little more structure in our days.  I’m especially praying for a smooth transition as we begin – I’ve got five students, from 8th all the way down to K this year!

I’m always on a mission to prolong the lifespan of our clothing, so I’ve been doing a little mothproofing research.  (This article from Martha Stewart was helpful.)  I’m still on the lookout for hanging red cedar boards, but I did manage to find an etsy shop that sells lavender sachets to add to my closet.  Reasonably priced, cute fabrics and a wonderful seller.  Highly recommend.

On the nightstand: Follow the River by James Alexander Thom, Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola and Gaining Ground by Forrest Pritchard.  My reading has slowed way down these past few weeks as I can only read a few pages at bedtime before I start nodding off.  
For this week’s baking day, I made a new batch of granola and two loaves of banana bread.  Tried and true, this is our favorite recipe: 
Banana Bread
1 cup sugar
½ cup oil (sometimes I use coconut oil, sometimes unsweetened applesauce)
2 eggs
3 very ripe bananas
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
(you could also add in a cup of chopped nuts too)

Preheat the oven to 375°.  Butter the inside of a loaf pan and set aside.
Add all of the ingredients one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Pour into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 45-50 minutes.  I typically bake mine for 45 minutes and then tent with foil for the last 5-10.

No.436: 2020 Gratitude // 33

This week’s gratitude comes from part of a newsletter I received from Naomi Bulger.  While this is her take on home comforts, I was really inspired by her choices and hope to intentionally notice and create more of this in my own home.  I think it will be especially important going into the fall and winter.  Here are her words:
“Home comforts” is a funny term these days, isn’t it. On the one hand, it feels like a warm hug. When you mention “home comforts” to me, I think of the kettle singing on the stovetop. Of the small stack of books on my bedside table with the corners turned down half way through. Or sitting under a colourful woolen rug, stroking our pet rabbit’s ears and watching Netflix while editing photographs on my ‘phone. There is a corner of our old sofa that is my corner of our old sofa, with a sag in the cushion that is just the right shape for my bottom.

Home comforts are the things we return to after long journeys: everything is where it should be in the kitchen (no hunting around a million cupboards looking for a cereal bowl), the right brand of cheese is in the ‘fridge, and the herbs on the window sill are the ones you chose, because they are the ones you like best to eat. It’s your favourite pillow and freshly laundered sheets on the bed, or spending an entire day cooking up a feast, for no reason other than that you want to. 

Home comforts are safe, familiar and, well, they deliver on the promise of the tin. Home comforts are comfortable. 
P.S. Naomi’s newsletter is one of my favorites and is always full of inspiring and helpful content.

No.435: What I Decluttered // August 2020

Month #11 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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The one year mark for this project is quickly approaching!  Since this was my last month before school resumes, I tried to knock out as much as I could, digging around in closets and cabinets and the basement.  I’m starting to see the fruits of this whole adventure, though, because it feels like I’m finding less and less, ha!  What a good feeling.

WHAT I DECLUTTERED THIS MONTH

  • 15 books.  I have had a big pile of books in my closet for months now in the hope that I could start a Little Free Library.  And then the world turned upside down!  I decided to try my luck on ebay instead to get books into the hands of people who want to read them.  
  • Two new Ikea duvet sets.  I purchased these right before we moved to the farmhouse for the little boys’ room, but eventually went in a different direction.  I never opened them and three years later, it appears Ikea doesn’t sell this variety anymore.  Sold both on ebay within hours of listing!
  • One book on Greek myths.  I somehow had a duplicate, so sold the extra on ebay.  
  • 2 throw blankets.
  • A baby bouncy seat.
  • One pack of confetti balloons.  From the BWF days.
  • 16 pieces of Mark’s clothing.  I convinced him to go through his closet and he ended up with a big pile.
  • 26 pieces of kids’ clothing.
  • 3 dress-up skirts.
  • One baby winter coat.  This was a little hard to let go because all five of my boys wore it at around a year old.  But what good is a coat stored away indefinitely when it could be used by someone right now?
  • One pullover fleece.  Sold on ebay.
  • 2 coloring books.  Into the recycling bin.
  • 8 empty egg cartons.  I collected these back in February with the intention of posting them on Trash Nothing for a preschool/kindergarten teacher to use in the classroom.  (I was imagining a caterpillar craft or maybe even used for seedlings.)  But then…COVID.  Thankfully, my son works at a farm that could use them and now they’re finally out of my house! 
  • One bath mat.
  • 2 bags of shredded paper.  Junk mail and other personal paperwork that needs to be shredded counts as clutter too!  I’m counting each full container (which is the equivalent of a plastic grocery store bag) as one item.  Added most of it to my compost pile.
  • 7 pieces of miscellaneous clothing.  Off to Goodwill.  These are pieces in good condition, but don’t have much resale value and weren’t substantial enough to warrant a post on Trash Nothing.
    Items decluttered this month: 88
    Money made this month: $82.85

    Total items decluttered so far: 661
    Total money made so far: $824.69


    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.434: Last Week at the Farmhouse // Strawberry Crumble Cake & a Few New Pieces of Decor

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    Don’t ask me how or why, but I finally got my groove back last week!  It felt so refreshing to be buzzing around the house, cooking and tidying and working in the garden, and jotting down huge lists of to-dos.  Not everyone’s idea of fun, but it is so very much me. 
    In the garden, we have our first little watermelons growing and still have cherry tomatoes coming out of our ears!  My new zucchini seedling has already emerged, but is looking a little sad after all of the rain storms.  Hopefully it pulls through!  I also created a loose plan for fall crops: broccoli, carrots, brussels and lettuce are on the docket.  We’ll see what happens!  It’s all just one big experiment.
    As part of our debt freedom celebration, Mark and I budgeted a little “fun money” for each of us to spend however we choose.  Since the thrift stores in my area have weird hours right now (and the idea of social distancing in these tiny stores seems stressful), I scoured the Internet for vintage pieces instead.  I had an idea of what I wanted and kept searching until I found the right item at the right price.  (Some pieces are insanely expensive!)  I obviously paid more than I would have at the thrift store, but I’m supporting small business and helping the economy, right?  Ha!  Here’s what I found:
    • a tall wicker picnic basket to hold my fabrics and in process quilt (this one, this one and this one are all similar ideas, but different shapes)
    • a small floral still-life painting to eventually be hung in a gallery wall
    • a Farm Journal cookbook from the 1970s that I bought for decor purposes, but actually want to cook almost everything inside! (here’s the same one!)
    Sophia’s bathroom renovation is finally moving forward!  We pulled out her toilet last November (!!) with the intention of ripping up and re-tiling the floor and shower, but ran into a few problems…and then COVID.  I ordered the tile this week and we’ll hopefully be able to get this project going by the end of the month.  
    I made homemade burger buns for the first time and they were delicious and so easy.  J and I also whipped up a Strawberry Crumble Cake together and while I could only eat a tiny piece due to my dairy sensitivity, it was really good.  I think it would be even better paired with a cup of hot coffee!  Here’s the recipe: 
    Strawberry Crumble Cake
    1 cup sugar
    1 tsp. baking powder
    1/4 tsp. salt
    3 cups flour
    1 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
    1 egg, beaten
    4 cups fresh strawberries, chopped
    1/2 cup sugar
    4 tsp. corn starch
    Preheat the oven to 375 and grease a 9×13″ pan.
    In a medium bowl, toss the strawberries with the 1/2 cup sugar and corn starch.
    In another bowl, whisk together the sugar, baking powder, salt and flour.  Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or fork until the pieces are about pea-sized.  Stir in the egg to form a crumbly dough.  
    Pat half of the dough in an even layer in the pan.  Spread the strawberry mixture on top of that.  Crumble the remaining dough evenly over the strawberry layer.
    Bake 45 minutes or until lightly browned.

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