The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

No.385: Intentions for the End of April

Act in such a way that all those who come in contact with you will go away joyful.  Sow happiness about you, because you have received much from God; give, then generously to others.
– Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska’s Diary, p.24

INTENTIONS FOR THE END OF APRIL

  • paint my toes
  • give myself a haircut
  • add a fresh layer of soil to the front flower beds
  • plant wildflower seeds throughout the entire front beds
  • start planting!
  • start working on garden fence construction
  • clear away the fallen trees and branches in the yard
  • read an ARC due for Netgalley
  • brainstorm some ideas/topics for my #100dayproject
  • update Nest Watch
  • try to propagate my Christmas cactus again
  • swap out the master rug for the one in the living room
  • clean the indoor/outdoor rug
  • put the indoor/outdoor rug out on the porch
  • order ferns on Etsy
  • order lemongrass on Etsy
  • go on a jog
  • deep clean the oven (100LT #4)
  • finish up the last work of the school year and prep for standardized testing

PREVIOUS INTENTIONS

If you’re reading on your phone or in a reader, be sure to click over to see what I checked off the list!
    • blog more (so far, so good!  I really need this creative outlet right now) 
    • continue working on my new scrapbook project (enjoying this creative outlet too)
    • add a fresh layer of soil to the front flower beds (our delivery has continually been postponed, but we hope it have it by Friday)
    • plant wildflower seeds throughout the entire front beds
    • email the county to see if I still need to order standardized testing (we’re still required to test even though the public schools are exempt…bummer)
    • figure out how to make Easter Sunday special, even under quarantine
    • start planting!
    • research rain barrels
    • choose a few books on my Goodreads “to read” list (I borrowed The Rosie Project and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society from the library)
    • decide on a baby shower gift for my cousin
    • finally work on the Finders Keepers box that I’ve had since December(!)
    • browse the recipes I’ve pinned on Pinterest and bake something new (decided to try a recipe for bialys in my sourdough cookbook instead)
    • try to propagate my Christmas cactus again
    • see if I can revive my dying fern (I trimmed it back and re-potted it, so we’ll see!)
    • add a few things to sell on ebay
    • clean and vacuum out car interiors
    • browse around for a bigger rug for the living room

    No.384: Our Extraordinary Ordinary Life // COVID-19 Lockdown Week 5

    HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE FIFTH WEEK OF COVID-19 LOCKDOWN
    Week five!  Time keeps marching on.

    Mark decided to head to the grocery store on Tuesday, so I showed him how to make a mask from a bandana that I had seen on social media.  As I placed the hairbands around his ears, I stopped and said, “What world are we living in right now?!  I can’t believe this is an acceptable way to go to the grocery store now.”  The days go on and we adapt, but I still struggle to wrap my head around it all.

    A new puzzle arrived that I purchased on Ebay.  Those puzzle sellers are making bank right now!  I refuse to spend more than $25 (and honestly, that feels a little high but I’m consoling myself that we’re helping to pay someone’s bills) so my choices have been a little random.  Thankfully the kids just go with it.  This latest addition takes our collection up to four.

    I saw a cool new plant while walking in the backyard and discovered that they were called fiddlehead ferns!  I had no idea that they started all curled up like that.

    The weather turned a bit chilly again, so I pulled out a warm hand-me-down sweater from my sister…or maybe it was my mom’s?  I’ve worn it every single day and it makes me feel close to them, despite the distance.

    Big news of the week: we paid off our car loan!  This has been a big goal and we’ve been steadily chipping away, one little extra payment at a time.  So happy to be car payment free for awhile!

    I read an article about how the “Big A” (you know who I mean…) is surging right now and it gave me an extra push to choose small businesses first…again.  I made a purchase online from our local bookstore and they delivered it to my door the next day!  I also made an order from a Catholic bookstore in our diocese and they are mailing the books to me.  Next up is to purchase a gift card from a few of our favorite local restaurants!     

    I made sourdough bialys for the first time with caramelized onions and crispy bacon.  Whoa.  SO good, but gone in minutes!  I need to try a double batch next time.

    No.383: 2020 Gratitude // 16

    A new series for 2020: if I record 20 things every week, I’ll have over 1,000 items by December 31.  
    That’s a lot to be grateful for.

    a new puzzle
    the process of working with sourdough
    embracing the weird wave of my hair au natural
     ice cream after dinner
    my baby sister
    finally paying off the car loan in full!
    listening to Mark read picture books to the little boys in funny accents
    the rustle of the wind through the trees
    ten days into my new project
    clipping greenery from the yard to beautify my home
    big chunky sweaters pulled back out of storage for this cold streak
    sitting on the back deck with Mark
    grilled chicken salads
    watching the boys’ stop motion animation videos
    hours and hours of playing outside
    finding tiny violets and buttercups in the yard
    when P says “Hi Mum” every time I come in the room
    getting on the treadmill again after a long break
    when J excitedly shares all about the book he’s reading
    slow mornings

    No.382: Five Good Things // No.01

    1 // COBBLE HILL FARM SOAP
    You know me and soap…I just ordered two new bars from a shop called Cobble Hill Farm.  I got the Saratoga Spa and Blackberry & Sage and they both smell awesome.  I can’t wait to use them!


    2 // PHENOLOGY WHEELS
    I made my first phenology wheel last month and loved the process.  Such a nice way to stop during a busy day and observe the outdoors.  I didn’t continue into April, but I wish I had.  I hope to start again in May.  This is the printable I glued into my journal.  The #phenologywheel hashtag on Instagram has so much inspiration too.


    3 // MY GO-TO SANDWICH BREAD RECIPE
    I’m sure I’ve shared it before, but this is my favorite homemade bread recipe.  I start the process in the bread machine and then transfer to a bread pan for the second rise.  Bake for 40 minutes at 375°.


    4 // NEST WATCH
    With five new eggs in our porch fan nest, I logged into Nest Watch (a part of The Cornell Lab of Ornithology) again to record our data.  That website is a treasure trove of information about bird species, nesting attempts and birdhouses.  If we have enough wood scraps, I want my boys to build a nesting box from one of their free plans.


    5 // MAKING HEADBANDS WITH BUTTONS FOR NURSES
    Have you seen all of those heartbreaking photos of nurses showing their bruises from the PPE?  I recently heard about headbands with buttons on the sides that help take some of the pressure off of their faces and if I can get the tension on my sewing machine corrected, I’d like to try to make some.  This tutorial seems easy enough.

    Amazon Disclosure Policy

    The Big White Farmhouse is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

    Archives

    Copyright © 2025 The Big White Farmhouse · Theme by 17th Avenue