The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

No.219: The Good List // Vol.05

a little list of things I noticed this week

a welcome break from the frigid cold with temps in the high 60’s
warm sunshine on my (pasty white) skin
listening to the children’s laughter outside
pick up football games in the front yard
celebrating the birth of the love of my life
quick rounds of a fun new card game
slow starts in the morning
the sound of bacon crisping in the kitchen
this inspiring talk about anti-fragile faith (worth listening to the end – I cried!)
steaming mugs of peach passion tea
going to bed with everything in its place
tiny movement on the scale in the right direction (thank you, no sugar challenge)
a second, much more affordable, opinion on a necessary home repair
cracking open a brand new book and being sucked in from the first few pages
a roof over our head and food in our bellies
an extraordinary ordinary life

No.218: New Habits, Little by Little: Cooking at Home (January 2019)

It took us until the end of the month to get our act together, but we’re bringing big Sunday dinners back!  Everyone pitches in – some cook, some set the table, some fill the drinks – and then we sit around our big dining room table, eating and chatting about the week ahead.  Such a nice way to celebrate the Sabbath and round out the weekend.


Week 79 (cont.):
Tuesday, January 1: pesto parmesan chicken with jasmine rice and salad
Wednesday, January 2: Refrigerator Clean-Out Night
Thursday, January 3: brats and salad
Friday, January 4: cheese pizzas from the grocery store

Week 80:
Saturday, January 5: cheesy southwest chicken lasagna rolls
Sunday, January 6: Epiphany! perfect pot roast
Monday, January 7: breakfast for dinner – pancakes
Tuesday, January 8: tacos
Wednesday, January 9: oktoberfest sheet pan brats with roasted vegetables
Thursday, January 10: leftovers
Friday, January 11: out for burgers

Week 81:
Saturday, January 12: creamy chicken tortilla soup
Sunday, January 13: Refrigerator Clean-Out Night
Monday, January 14: roasted chicken thighs and veggies
Tuesday, January 15: I was sick, so Mark brought home french onion soup for me and pizza for the kids
Wednesday, January 16: Mark made homemade pepperoni and supreme pizzas
Thursday, January 17: creamy chicken tortilla soup (again!)
Friday, January 18: shrimp egg rolls

Week 82:
Saturday, January 19: philly cheesesteak stew (we used regular bowls and bought crusty bread for dipping)
Sunday, January 20: we lost power in the wind storm so went out for burgers
Monday, January 21: chicken cordon bleu casserole
Tuesday, January 22: breakfast for dinner – scrambled eggs, bacon and homemade cheddar, ham & chive biscuits
Wednesday, January 23: take-and-bake pizzas from the grocery store
Thursday, January 24: balsamic chicken veggie bake
Friday, January 25: Panera copycat french onion soup

Week 83:
Saturday, January 26: sheet pan mini meatloaves with potatoes and green beans
Sunday, January 27: ham, mashed potatoes, bacon brussels sprouts and rolls
Monday, January 28: T’s patron saint’s feast day! meatball subs and chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches
Tuesday, January 29: Refrigerator Clean-Out Night
Wednesday, January 30: Mark worked late, so we had grilled cheese sandwiches and popcorn (#random)
Thursday, January 31: tacos

No.217: Intentions for the Beginning of February

“Winter may be beautiful, but bed is much better.” – Toad

P.S. Did you hear that Google+ is shutting down?  From the e-mail: “If you’ve used Google+ for comments on your own or other sites, this feature will be removed from Blogger by February 4th and other sites by March 7th. All your Google+ comments on all sites will be deleted starting April 2, 2019.” 

INTENTIONS FOR THE BEGINNING OF FEBRUARY

  • to think about: how can I be more of a creator than a consumer?
  • finish taxes
  • open a separate Christmas account
  • start thinking about a dog (!!)
  • order a shampoo bar (100LT #84)
  • order photos for the first month of my #100dayproject
  • catch up on snail mail correspondence
  • leave thoughtful comments on at least 20 blog posts
  • figure out Valentines for the kids to pass out at co-cop
  • make a plan for Poshmark (I put it on the back burner last month and need to refocus)
  • finish at least one book that has been sitting on my “currently reading” list for months

      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!
      • No Sugar (so far so good – Mark and I are trying to go without it for 90 days!)
      • start preparing for taxes
      • wrap Mark’s birthday gifts
      • catch up on snail mail correspondence (so behind on this – sorry for the delay, penpals!)
      • photograph and list all remaining inventory for Poshmark
      • finally finish my winter cross-stitch project (ugh, still not done – I’ve definitely chosen books over handiwork)
      • check Home Depot for a snake plant (I’ve been avoiding going anywhere unnecessary in this frigid weather – see you in the spring, HD) 
      • buy a bag of potting soil
      • propagate my Christmas cactus (100LT #76)
      • research shampoo bars (I found a few options on etsy)
      • deep clean the living room (vacuum the couch!)
      • start a separate Christmas fund and determine amount to save (Brooke’s post really inspired me to get this started – I’m hoping for much less stress this fall)
      • keep closer track of how much we’re spending in groceries (those quick trips for “just milk” really do add up!  we’re spending more than I realized and need a plan to reduce that)

      What about you?  What do you hope to accomplish in the next two weeks?

      No.216: The Good List // Vol.04

      a little list of things I noticed the past two weeks
      _________________________

      The full moon was absolutely beautiful and as usual, this lame photo just doesn’t do it justice.  Out here in the country, it gets dark – I mean, dark dark – at night.  I’ve come to enjoy the extra light that a full moon brings every month.  

      _________________________

      These ginormous shoes belong to my son…my son!  He’s growing faster than I can keep up.  I can’t believe how quickly my chunky little baby turned into this almost-teenager who is just about as tall as me.  Those old ladies at the grocery store are totally right: the days are long, but the years are short.
      _________________________

      I had to scrape the car before heading out and noticed this design in the frost.  So beautiful!
      _________________________

      This post from Kristine Levine was so good.   Over the years, we have been the humbled recipients of such generosity and I need to be better about intentionally seeking ways to do the same. “When you give the best you have, it does more than feed an empty belly, it feeds the soul.”   I want to give the best I have.

      Less Materialism, More Intentional Living

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