The Big White Farmhouse | intentional living, little by little

January 28, 2019

No.213: Five Favorites for January

This post contains affiliate links. The Five Favorites linkup has been suspended indefinitely, but please feel free to comment your faves in the comments!

1 // BOOK OUTLET
I don’t remember how I stumbled upon Book Outlet, but I’m so glad I did! They have a huge selection of books at really great prices and in a wide range of genres. I’ve already made two orders (they have free shipping on $35 or more, which is way too easy to do…ahem) and am making myself wait on another until I read what I purchased. Unfortunately, that hasn’t stopped me from window shopping and adding bunches to my cart, hah! #crazybooklady If you go through my link, you’ll get a $10 off coupon towards your first order of $25 or more. And one more bonus: you can get 5% back with ebates too!

2 // CREAMY CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP
Creamy chicken tortilla soup was one of our favorite meals this month. We’ve made it a few times and in different ways: I’ve followed the directions exactly as written and I’ve also made it using chicken we cooked the day before. I bet you could even just shred a rotisserie chicken too. Perfect for freezing winter nights.

3 // ONE LINE A DAY – A FIVE YEAR MEMORY BOOK
I mentioned this little book last January and it’s worth mentioning again as I start Year Two. I love it so much! It’s been so fun to read what we were up to each day last year – so many little memories in one book. If my house was on fire, this would definitely be something I would grab.

4 // MEXICAN TRAIN DOMINOES
The kids and I bought this game for Mark’s birthday next month, but decided to give it to him early during our big snow weekend! It’s a huge hit with the entire family – even my six-year-old can play easily. I also bought this score pad which has been helpful when we only have time to play a round or two.

5 // WEIGHT TRAINING BOOK FOR RUNNERS
Do you follow Theresa on IG? She is a running superstar, so when she recommended this book, I snatched it right up. She’s right – it’s awesome. I’ve only done a few workouts so far, but they kicked my bum. I’m anxious to finally get rid of this cold and get back to work.

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A few other favorite lists from the archives:

Chicken salad, a dust buster, and my favorite warm fleece pullover

A nightlight, a doodling book for kids and the Norwegian secret to enjoying winter

Flannel pajamas, recipe videos and reading before bed

January 24, 2019

No.212: Mail Tag // 10 Questions to Ask Your Penpal

This post contains affiliate links.

Have you heard of Mail Tag? It’s one of the fun little extras I like to include in letters, a way to learn more about your penpal. Today I thought I would give ten questions to get you started and I’ll share my answers too!

1 // Share a poem or quote that inspires you.
“Let us carry our crosses with love; let us see that they do not become a burden to others, but let us help others carry theirs.” – St. John Bosco

2 // What is your typical morning routine?
I’m usually up early (around 6) and head straight for the coffee maker. I fill a mug with coffee and unsweetened vanilla almond milk, say good morning to everyone awake and then sit down at the dining room table. I’ve been working through the Chronological Bible Plan and my daily saint book. I also jot down a few things in my gratitude journal. Making this prayer time a habit has been life-changing for me! Then it’s breakfast and chores and off we go to start school.

3 // What is your favorite meal?
My favorite meal changes frequently. Since I’m still fighting a sinus infection this week, I’d say pepperoni pizza that I didn’t have to make!

4 // If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
Now that we’re in the dead of winter, I’d go anywhere warm! Lounging on a beach somewhere reading a book sounds heavenly.

5 // What are three of your favorite books?
This is such a hard question! Instead, I’ll share my five favorite books from last year: Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done, Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness, Redwall (read aloud to the kids), Need to Know, and Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End.

6 // Name one of your pet peeves.
Have you ever been driving on the highway when someone puts their blinker on to move into your lane and then proceeds to keep it on for.ev.er? Drives me crazy!

7 // When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
At different times, I wanted to become a doctor, a marine biologist or a teacher.

8 // What is the last movie you watched?
I watched Remember the Titans with my oldest.

9 // What brand are your favorite pair of jeans?
Right now I’m living in Kut from the Kloth’s skinny jeans. I think I want to get a pair of boyfriend cut next.

10 // Share five things that make you smile.

Finding little pieces of artwork from the kids, a gorgeous red-orange sunset, a book I can’t put down, belly laughter, and an empty laundry basket.

Tag, you’re it!

January 21, 2019

No.211: Intentions for the End of January

Did you hear that Mary Oliver passed away? I have only the simplest knowledge of her work, but many of the pieces I’ve read have really touched me. This is the one I’ve been thinking about while we had a winter wonderland outside:

“Snow was falling, so much like stars

filling the dark trees

that one could easily imagine

its reason for being was nothing more

than prettiness.”

INTENTIONS FOR THE END OF JANUARY

No Sugar (Mark and I are trying to go without it for 90 days…pray for me)
start preparing for taxes
wrap Mark’s birthday gifts
catch up on snail mail correspondence
photograph and list all remaining inventory for Poshmark
finally finish my winter cross-stitch project (100LT #23)
check Home Depot for a snake plant
buy a bag of potting soil
propagate my Christmas cactus (100LT #76)
research shampoo bars (100LT #84)
deep clean the living room (vacuum the couch!)
start a separate Christmas fund and determine amount to save (thanks for the inspiration, Brooke!)
keep closer track of how much we’re spending in groceries (those quick trips for milk add up)

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!

~~finish taking down Christmas decorations~~
add consistent strength training to my weekly workouts (I was on a roll before I caught a cold)
sign up for a half marathon
~~create an updated chore chart~~
photograph and list all remaining inventory for Poshmark
propagate my Christmas cactus (100LT #76)
~~make paper snowflakes with the kids~~
~~bake cookies with J~~
make at least 5 recipe printouts from my huge pile (part of 100LT #10) (1/5: I made pancakes)
~~start my #100dayproject~~ (here’s hoping I can keep this up!)
attend a Latin Mass (we decided to wait until the next High Mass in February)
~~read Revelation and listen to commentary from Dr. Taylor Marshall~~ (I’ve never read Revelation at this depth before and it was fascinating)
~~write a snail mail letter~~