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The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

June 20, 2018

No.145: Highs and Lows // June 2018

a random assortment of this month’s highs and lows

HIGH // A BRAND NEW BABY COUSIN! 
My cousin just gave birth to her first baby, two weeks early!  (Such a lucky duck – she didn’t have to suffer through those unbearable last weeks.)  We are all smitten with his pictures and can’t wait to meet him.  Which leads me to…

HIGH // A  LONG WEEKEND TRIP ALONE 
My generous dad cashed in his frequent flyer miles so I could spend four days in July visiting my cousins and helping out with the new baby.  This will be the first time in over a decade that I am traveling all by myself, no pregnant belly or baby along for the ride!  I am so, so excited.


LOW // BURNING MY HAND
D and I were about to make sourdough waffles and due to miscommunication, he turned the wafflemaker on without telling me.  I grabbed the side to push it out of the way and woo boy!  The pain was intense!  I spent the rest of the day gripping icepacks like they were strapless handbags, hah!  Thankfully, it has healed quickly.

HIGH // SOURDOUGH BREAD
I feel like I’ve reached “Bread Making 2.0” level since starting with sourdough.  The first few loaves were intimidating, but with practice, it’s gotten so much easier.  I now keep my starter on the kitchen counter and make a loaf almost every day. 

HIGH // PORCH FANS
The weather turned a corner this week and it is HOT.  Coupled with the humidity, it’s just unbearable to be outside for more than a few minutes.  (See yesterday’s post for my Googling and screenshot-ing of inground pools for the backyard, hah! #dreams)  Fortunately, this house came with fans on both the front and back porches and if you sit directly underneath them, they do give you some relief.  I’ve been taking advantage first thing in the morning and when we eat dinner outside.   

LOW // FLIES ALL OVER THE HOUSE
I guess it’s part of country living and the fact that the kids rarely shut the door on their way out, but the flies are everywhere!  I’ve become that crazy lady tiptoeing through the house with the swatter in hand.  I may need to invest in the classy sticky fly trap soon.

HIGH // A NEW ACTIVITY FOR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR
We’re joining a homeschool co-op next fall!  It’s a bit of a drive, but the classes sound fun and I’m going to be helping with TJ’s preschool class, so little stress for me.  The missing piece to this year’s homeschool puzzle was helping everyone find non-family friendships and I think co-op will really help. 

HIGH/LOW // THE BABY HAS OFFICIALLY WEANED – I THINK?
As of this writing, we’ll have officially gone 72 hours without nursing.  So I think we’re done.  It’s exciting and surreal and just a little sad.  So many emotions all rolled into one.   

June 19, 2018

No.144: Finding Inspiration in Social Media // My Latest Saves

This post contains affiliate links.

Do you save or screenshot all the things like I do?  I seem to find inspiration everywhere and don’t trust myself to remember them!  Today I thought it would be fun to share a mix of random saves from my phone, Instagram and Facebook.   

SCREENSHOTS FROM MY PHONE

  • Chloe May Brown: a potter I just found on Instagram and would love to support.  Her bowls are beautiful!
  • Youtube videos to help with praying the rosary through the Apostolate for Family Consecration
  • a tick remover card we need to buy
  • average postpartum cycle lengths, thanks to the Facebook Marquette group
  • denim shorts I’m debating purchasing
  • I already have a sunscreen that I like, but am also intrigued by Beautycounter’s mist version
  • I’d really like to try to sew a piece of clothing and this skirt pattern was recommended – looks easy enough!
  • Talk about an interesting viewpoint!  I can’t wait to read American Radical: Inside the World of an Undercover Muslim FBI Agent
  • a farm relatively near us I’d like to visit
  • new Birks I’m saving up for
  • a DIY spray to combat stink bugs
  • my dream pool
  • a state park in Virginia Beach I’m adding to our travel list
  • sad news that there won’t be Social Security left by the time we retire
  • I’m trying to veer into natural deodorant, but having trouble with ones that are heavy on the baking soda.  Maybe this one will be better? 
  • Jen Fulweiler’s husband’s queso recipe – must make soon!
  • Homesteaders of America conference in October: this looks amazing
  • peonies I’d like to plant somewhere around the house 
  • lists of deer-resistant plants

BOOKS ON INSTAGRAM

  • Anne of Green Gables, My Daughter and Me:What My Favorite Book Taught Me about Grace, Belonging and the Orphan in Us All
  • What the Robin Knows
  • Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
  • Calling All Minds: How to Think and Create Like an Inventor
  • coming out in July: An Ocean of Minutes
  • The Gift of Dyslexia
  • Every Note Played
  • coming out in September: The Grace of Enough: Pursuing Less and Living More in a Throwaway Culture
  • North: Finding My Way While Running the Appalachian Trail
  • another running book that sounds fascinating: Can’t Nothing Bring Me Down
  • you can read this one for free if you have Amazon Prime: A Quiet Life in the Country
  • Escape From Camp 14: One Man’s Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West
  • A Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science (Even If You Flunked Algebra)
  • I’m really interested in this one: Be the Parent, Please: Stop Banning Seesaws and Start Banning Snapchat: Strategies for Solving the Real Parenting Problems

FACEBOOK SAVES

  • Fall Homeschool Day at Virginia Safari Park in October
  • On seeing a photo of yourself and not liking how you look
  • dreaming about and planning for Dave Ramsey’s Step #3
  • I need to check out these throwable paintballs
  • 300 free Ivy League courses you can take online
  • The Nature Connection
  • research for getting chickens someday: How to Rock at Raising Chickens
  • a recent book that might be interesting: Just Whatever: How to Help the Spiritually Indifferent Find Beliefs
  • I think I need this Rockin’ Green Soap to clean our gym clothes – watch this video!
  • how busy hands can alter our brain chemistry
What have you been screenshot-ing lately?

P.S. Etsy is having a big sales event this week and I’m sharing great deals as I find them over on my Facebook page.  If you need ideas for gifts or a treat for yourself, I’m your gal!

June 18, 2018

No.143: Intentions for the End of June

My big goal: WRITE EVERYDAY FOR A MONTH.  I’m more than halfway there!  This has been fun and intense and just a little bit crazy, but I’m not quitting yet.

Quick recap of my goals from the first half of June:

✔ my summer plans for the kids 
✔ an “official” post about the African Geography Studies curriculum I created this year
✔ our favorite homemade granola recipe
✔ thoughts on a new book I’m reading
✔ 10 podcasts I’ve been listening to
✔ another round of bread recipes for Homesteading 101
✔ a project I’ve been quietly working on since January 1st
✔ some of my favorite things related to running

And a few more on the plan to write:
  • great recommendations I’ve recently saved from social media 
  • another “official” post about the science curriculum we used for school this year 
  • another round of things we’ve purchased for Farmhouse to Home
  • June’s Five Favorites linkup
  • a six-month update on my 2018 Goals and Projects list
  • June’s latest reads
If you have any post ideas, let me know.  Thanks for sticking around and reading!

June 17, 2018

No.142: Four Resources That Are Helping TJ’s Speech


This post contains affiliate links.

My three-year-old, TJ, has a slight speech delay.  We had him tested last winter and the results solidified what I already knew: he struggled with final consonant sounds, but didn’t have any significant facial muscle irregularities.  At the advice of our family doctor and a few others, we’ve decided to postpone therapy for now (private therapists are so expensive!) and work with him at home until we feel we aren’t making any progress.  I’m so happy to say that hasn’t happened yet!

In the past few months, he’s been making huge strides and we’re thrilled to see a happier boy who is finally being understood.  Turns out he has a lot to say, hah!  Here are four things that have been helpful for us:

1 // FLASH CARDS
Out of all the books and games I’ve researched, this simple deck of flash cards has probably been his favorite.  Last winter, he was very hesitant to even try to say new words, often just shaking his head when we asked him to repeat something.  We started playing a game of “What’s this?” and suddenly, he turned a big corner!  We praised him for every word he tried, even if it sounded incorrect, and built on that momentum.

2 // A LITTLE BOOK ABOUT FINAL CONSONANTS
In my Google searches, I came across a little book called Easy-To-Say First Words: A Focus on Final Consonants.  It was written by a speech therapist and focuses on one syllable words and repetition.  So for example, one two-page spread says, “Up, up, up. The hot air balloon goes up.”  We will typically say the first part (“Up, up, up.  The hot air balloon goes…”) and have him fill in the blank at the end.  We’ve also played a game where we dramatically exaggerate the last sound (uP) to try to help him hear that at the end.

3 // SISTER’S READING BOOK
I originally purchased ABC See, Hear, Do: Learn to Read 55 Words for Sophie, but I quickly realized how beneficial it could be for TJ too.  Combining animal pictures with hand motions helps kids remember each letter sound, but it’s also a sneaky way to have TJ actually say each sound too!  He loves this book.

4 // A REFERENCE BOOK FOR ME
I’ve really only skimmed through The Late Talker: What to Do If Your Child Isn’t Talking Yet – it’s on my summer reading list! – but I have a feeling it will be helpful as I navigate this uncharted territory.  There is an entire section about activities to play that I’m really anxious to read.

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