The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

No.185: New Habits, Little by Little: Cooking at Home (September 2018)

September was a blur and made meal planning quite tricky.  How you eat healthily while running around town is beyond me!  We ate out much more than usual, but I’m trying to give myself some grace in this area.  We’ll find some sort of groove soon…I hope.

Week 62: 
Saturday, September 1: roasted pork tenderloin with veggies
Sunday, September 2: leftovers
Monday, September 3: Labor Day! bacon cheeseburgers on the grill, chips
Tuesday, September 4: chicken, apple, potato and brussels sprouts skillet over rice
Wednesday, September 5: beef and broccoli ramen
Thursday, September 6: breakfast for dinner – french toast
Friday, September 7: french onion meatballs and mashed potatoes, strawberry cheesecake

Week 63:
Saturday, September 8: tacos
Sunday, September 9: burgers after late Mass
Monday, September 10: Mark’s first day!  Little Caesars in between the boys’ extra-curriculars
Tuesday, September 11: oktoberfest sheet pan brats and roasted vegetables
Wednesday, September 12: perfect pot roast
Thursday, September 13: breakfast for dinner – crustless quiche
Friday, September 14: frozen pizzas and strawberry cheesecake (celebrating TJ’s birthday early!)

Week 64:
Saturday, September 15: out for burgers
Sunday, September 16: Mark’s chili and cornbread
Monday, September 17: make-your-own sub sandwiches
Tuesday, September 18: Mark business trip. leftovers and funfetti cupcakes
Wednesday, September 19: TJ’s birthday! out for pizza and choco-tacos
Thursday, September 20: slow cooker parmesan honey pork roast, mashed potatoes and broccoli
Friday, September 21: burgers and fries

Week 65:
Saturday, September 22: frozen pizzas and cookie cake (celebrating S’s birthday early!)
Sunday, September 23: white chicken chili, served with salsa and tortilla chips (I used a rotisserie chicken to make it easier)
Monday, September 24: S’s birthday! slow cooker beef stew
Tuesday, September 25: roasted brats and vegetables
Wednesday, September 26: we were supposed to attend “Food Truck Wednesday” but it was cancelled due to rain, so we grabbed burgers instead
Thursday, September 27: meat and veggies paleo chili (we subbed the zucchini for butternut squash)
Friday, September 28: leftovers

Week 66:
Saturday, September 29: roasted pork loin, broccoli and rice
Sunday, September 30: pulled pork tacos with coleslaw

No.184: Intentions for the Beginning of October

“Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.” – Lauren Destefano
(Now if only Virginia would get the hint!)

INTENTIONS FOR THE BEGINNING OF OCTOBER

  • run (no training plan, just for fun) three times a week
  • paint the little boys’ headboards
  • go on a birthday date (!!)
  • buy gifts for D’s birthday
  • send two letters in the mail
  • try a new soup for “soup night”
  • decide on outfits for our family photos
  • figure out the front porch staining situation 
  • call to have someone look at the dishwasher
  • buy new sneakers for M (why are sneakers so expensive!?)
  • increase Poshmark inventory to 75+
  • finish reading Estrogeneration
  • read 100 pages in Don Quixote

    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!
    • SLOW DOWN – life is full, but letting it feel crazy is a choice (a work in progress – some days are better than others)
    • buy new sneakers for M
    • finish wrapping Sophie’s birthday gifts 
    • reach 50 listings in my Poshmark closet (a big milestone for me as I grow my business)
    • sell at least 8 items on Poshmark (final total was 14!)
    •  order poly mailers and tissue paper (I went with my classic kraft tissue and these mailers)
    • send a letter in the mail
    • figure out the front porch staining situation
    • attend our local “Food Truck Wednesday” for dinner (they cancelled the event due to rain)
    • start Don Quixote (at over 800 pages, this is only slightly intimidating, hah! here we go!)
    • decide on a paint color for Sophie’s room
    • decide on a paint color for the little boys’ headboards (I’m going to try Rustoleum’s chalk paint in Coastal Blue)

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

    No.183: What I Learned in September

    These photos are unrelated and were taken around the property this summer, but are too pretty not to share.  Nature is amazing.

    1 // I’M (STILL!) NOT VERY GOOD WITH CHANGE.
    September was a total blur of new activities and routines.  Mark also started his new job, which brought its own changes.  You’d think at this point in my life, I’d roll with the punches when things like this happen…but I don’t, hah!  It’s been a constant battle to take care of myself with everything going on.  Thankfully, each week gets a little easier.


    2 // ABRAHAM LINCOLN HAD A GREAT SENSE OF HUMOR.
    We read Abraham Lincoln in school and it may be my favorite d’Aulaire book yet!  We all enjoyed learning more about him beyond the typical presidential facts.  The kids loved that he had such a jovial sense of humor! 


    3 // I’M BACK TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND IT FEELS SO GOOD. 
    I’ve been having so much fun with Poshmark that I’m dipping my toes in creating a “real” business again!   I’ve been setting aside a little time each day to work on “my closet” and in really fires me up creatively.  I’m learning so much about clothing: brands, fabrics, quality, etc etc etc.  In some ways I feel like I did years ago when I launched Big White Farmhouse – learning a brand new industry is fascinating.
    P.S. If you sign up on Poshmark with the code BWFARMHOUSE, you get $5 off your first purchase!


    4 // MY GRAY HAIRS ARE REALLY COMING IN.
    I was brushing my teeth one night when I did a double take – what is happening on the top of my head?!  I’m not necessarily dreading getting older, but it really is surreal to watch it happen.


    5 // I FINALLY HAVE A LITTLE BOY WHO LOVES TRAINS.
    I’ve been nudging my boys toward trains for years and years and none of them have ever really caught on.  BUT!  P (at almost 22 months) is obsessed!  He watches Thomas the Train on repeat and looks at all of our train books.  He’ll play with the trains and tracks on and off all day!  So fun to watch.

    Your turn: what did you learn this month?

    No.182: My Latest Reads // September

    This post contains affiliate links.

    NEED TO KNOW by Karen Cleveland 
    My Rating: ★★★★★

    “How long have you been working for the Russians?” I say. The words are raw, unprocessed. But they’re out now, so I watch his face closely, because his expression matters far more to me than his words. Will there be honest confusion? Indignation? Shame? There’s nothing. Absolutely no emotion crosses his face. It doesn’t change. And that sends a bolt of fear through me. He looks at me evenly. Waits a beat too long to answer, but just barely. “Twenty-two years.” (11%)

     I stayed up way too late devouring this book!  You know how much I love a spy thriller and this one did not disappoint.  Such a page turner.  And the end?!  I can’t talk much about it without giving too much away, but it was SO good.  Definitely one of my favorites for 2018.  

    TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN  by John Green 
    My Rating: ★★★☆☆

     Anybody can look at you. It’s quite rare to find someone who sees the same world you see. (4%)

    Full disclosure: I don’t really enjoy YA – I have zero desire to return to my teenage years!  Even so, I have people in my life who suffer from OCD and anxiety and since Turtles All the Way Down comes highly recommended, I decided to give it a try.  And it was good!  Hearing of the main character’s internal battle was exhausting and even gave me a bit of anxiety, but I also found it to be really helpful.  By knowing more, I hope I can be a better friend/relative to those that suffer in this way.

    SMALL GREAT THINGS by Jodi Picoult 
    My Rating: ★★★★☆


     On the day before classes were supposed to start, Mama took me out to dinner. “You’re destined to do small great things,” she told me. “Just like Dr. King said.” She was referring to one of her favorite quotes: If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way. (35%)

     The science of creating another human is remarkable, and no matter how many times I’ve learned about cells and mitosis and neural tubes and all the rest that goes into forming a baby, I can’t help but think there’s a dash of miracle involved, too. (40%)

    What can I say about this book?  It was an honest look at racism in America.  Hard to read at times, but also so good.  The parts related to birth and motherhood choked me up on more than one occasion.  It definitely gave me a lot to think about.

    THE KITCHEN HOUSE by Kathleen Grissom
    My Rating: ★★★☆☆

    “Abinia,” she said, “this I know.  What the color is, who the daddy be, who the mama is don’t mean nothin’.  We a family, carin’ for each other.  Family make us strong in times of trouble.  We all stick together, help each other out.  That the real meanin’ of family.  When you grow up, you take that family feelin’ with you.” (p.160)

    The Kitchen House dealt with slavery in the eighteenth century.  I enjoyed it, even if the bad things happening one after the other seemed a little like a soap opera.  I wasn’t particularly attached to the main character, but I sure did love Mama Mae.  Solid three stars.

    ____________________________

    MY 2018 READING IN NUMBERS

    Books Read: 53
    Fiction: 31  // Non-Fiction: 22
    Kindle Books: 33  // Paper Books: 20
    Original 2018 books “to-read” total on Goodreads: 443 // Current “to-read” total: 426

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