The Big White Farmhouse | intentional living, little by little

May 21, 2018

No.121: Intentions for the End of May

This sounds a little silly, but I’m doing something big today: I’m putting away the scale. I know this is the epitome of first-world problems, but here’s my rationale: when I run, I feel invincible. I feel strong and proud of myself. But nothing kills that runner’s high faster than stepping on the scale and seeing…nothing. No change (or even negative change!) after good choices and hard work. This has been happening for a few weeks now and is making me reassess my health goals: am I running and eating better because it makes me feel alive or am I doing it all because I want to be thin? Losing weight may come – or it may not – but I don’t want that to be the driving force anymore. So the scale is going into storage for now.

INTENTIONS FOR THE END OF MAY

put away the scale – maybe only one check-in on the first of every month?
start incorporating more stretching on off days, especially for my hip muscles
tidy up the school room for summer and take inventory of supplies needed
make a plan for screen use during the summer and stick to it
get my car to the mechanic for an inspection
renew library cards
buy a new push broom
practice what I preach to the kids and floss every.single.night (not randomly, like I usually do)
paint my toes
make energy bites
buy an ice cream maker (100LT #52)
string lights throughout the back porch
borrow a power washer and start prepping the front porch for staining
scrub bird poop off the porch (the con to having baby birds)
plan a day with my mom
give all of the boys haircuts

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!

WATER – drink lots and lots of it (I need to be better about this)
~~add a consistent strength training day to my weekly exercise load~~ (not my favorite day of the week, but necessary to stay injury-free)
~~find two new podcasts to listen to while running~~ (listened to a few episodes of Another Mother Runner and The Lazy Genius)
~~mail in the kids’ finished standardized testing~~
~~make a list of the remaining assignments/readings for the last few weeks of school~~
plan a day with my mom
~~buy a succulent (100LT #48) and some herbs for the kitchen window~~
look into getting an ice cream maker
renew library cards

finish reading Dorothy Day’s biography (still plugging away on this one – almost done!)
~~read two books sitting on my nightstand~~ (I read Make Your Bed and The Art Detective )
decide on new summer sandals, one casual pair and one for church (still undecided – I think I want Birks for the casual ones, but haven’t found a dressier pair I like yet)
~~buy sandals for P~~ (I found an old pair from his big brothers for him to wear – adorable!)
make oobleck with Sophie (100LT #93)
~~buy tiny hooks~~
string lights throughout the back porch
borrow a power washer and start prepping the front porch for staining (all the rain postponed this, but I need to get it done soon)

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

May 18, 2018

No.120: New Habits, Little by Little: A Seven Changes Update

This post contains affiliate links.

It’s been almost exactly two months since I talked about seven areas in my life that needed change. Ever so slowly, I’ve been chipping away and while this sort of thing is definitely a marathon not a sprint, I’m pleased with the tiny progress I’ve made so far. Below are a few steps I’ve taken and three new goals for each. My motto: An intentional life happens little by little. Linking up with Kelly’s Quick Takes again!

1 // TIME

The more I think about this, the more “time” is really just shorthand for “self-care.” My perfectionist tendencies had me believe that if I couldn’t have it exactly how I envisioned it, it wasn’t worth starting at all. And that’s so not true. Here’s what I’ve been working on:

I read Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done and it really helped me identify my problem areas and to get my perfectionism in check. I have carried a lot of his ideas with me since – sign of a good book!
Starting small, I asked myself, “What makes you feel alive?” And for me, that’s running. I started getting up earlier, going as far as 30 minutes will take me, and I feel like a completely new person.
GOALS

Create a routine for prayer & Bible study.
Put a monthly “day out” on the calendar and stick with it.
Sign up for a race in the fall.

2 // WASTE

In my research, I stumbled on an entire “zero waste” community and woo, are they both inspiring and intimidating! “Less waste” seems like a more reasonable goal for me right now. Here’s what I’ve been working on:

Our plastic containers were looking pretty bad (and we were missing a third of the lids – how??) so I invested in some glass ones. I love them! They don’t stain, clean easily and look super cute stacked in the fridge.
I joined a local group on Trash Nothing, a freecycling website. You can offer or request items and everything is 100% free. For example, right now, people are offering a charcoal grill, sports equipment, even a desk and dresser! I check in frequently just to see what’s available.
I’ve been saving vegetable scraps to make bone broth. Onion skins, celery leaves, carrot peels, and leftover fresh herbs! I keep them all in a big bag in the freezer and when the bag is full, I plan a whole chicken for dinner, which will then be used to make broth. There is something so satisfying about making something delicious from scraps. My grandmother would be proud.
Flexible meal planning has been helpful in the waste department as well. When I feel like we have too much in the fridge, I bump my planned dinner to the next day and have a “Refrigerator Clean-out Night” to use up all the half-eaten odds and ends.
GOALS

Research composting.
Get rid of old couch on Trash Nothing.
Finish reading An Everlasting Meal.

3 // SLOW FASHION

When everyone is ruthlessly paring down their wardrobes into capsules, I’m at the opposite end of the spectrum: I have very little! This is mostly due to my constantly fluctuating midsection – being pregnant and postpartum for over a decade hasn’t inspired me to shop beyond the bare essentials. But I’m ready to work on this and I want to do it the right way. Here’s what I’ve been working on:

My mom and I have started thrifting together and it has opened my eyes to an entire new world. The quality of the clothes varies, but most are in amazing shape – some were even brand new with tags!
I tried Thred Up‘s new Goody Box and just signed up for a second “Spring Essentials” one.
GOALS

Read Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion.
Find a new ethical company to support.
Start setting aside a little money to invest in a quality piece of clothing.

4 // EDUCATION

Education is on my mind a lot, but I really haven’t had time to think beyond the daily grind. Summer break seems like a good time to work on this area before we begin again in the fall.

GOALS

Read Know and Tell.
Brainstorm new ways for creative narration for school in the fall.
Start writing in my commonplace book again.

5 // NATURE & BEING OUTDOORS

We haven’t quite shaken our “indoor people” habits, but we’re making progress! The past few weeks have been tricky with allergy-ridden children and never-ending rain, but I’m hopeful we’ll get back to our routine soon. Here’s what I’ve been working on:

We started the 1000 Hours Outside challenge in March. At this writing, we’re at 63 hours. The pollen really put a damper on our fun – one of my kids in particular is especially allergic with swollen, itchy eyes.
I’ve tried to be intentional about seeking out nature, photographing plants that catch my eye and researching their names.
The birds hatching on our front porch fan have been fascinating to watch too. We joined Nest Watch and are helping scientists with our data.
GOALS

Read How To Raise a Wild Child.
Determine what the trees in our backyard are.
Plant new shrubs in our front flower beds. Maybe ones that attract birds and butterflies?

6 // LESS SCREENS

I’ve found that this change is a natural consequence to #5: more time outdoors equals less need for screens. Lately though, as we’ve been stuck inside with days and days of rain, I’ve found the opposite to be true. So much begging for a show! Here’s a few other things we’ve been working on:

Mark and I don’t watch television on weekdays. This sort-of evolved naturally because we were both reading books we couldn’t put down. Now in hindsight, we didn’t realize how many hours of our life we wasted scrolling through Netflix trying to find something to watch! I’m reading more than I ever have before simply because of this small change.
Mark downgraded to a “dumb” phone. This seems like a social experiment (can he do it? and for how long?), but he says that he’s seeing a lot of benefits already.
I’m trying to only scroll when I’m alone instead of in front of my kids – I am rarely alone, hah, so this helps with time management for me as well.
GOALS

Make a plan for screen use during the summer and stick to it.
Read Hands Free Mama.

7 // PARENTING

I’m in the thick of parenting, but I haven’t really touched the intentional part of this change yet. Putting this one on my summer to-do list.

GOALS

Complete the gallery wall of family photos in the living room.
Read Siblings Without Rivalry.
Prioritize one-on-one time with each child.

May 15, 2018

No.119: Our Extraordinary Ordinary Life // May 2018 Edition

A monthly project featuring ten photos throughout the day that show a peek into our extraordinarily ordinary life.
Note: Today I took a more detailed look at our day and took way more than 10 pictures! I ended up narrowing it down to 15. A fun way to change things up.

A Day in the Life – Monday, May 14, 2018

5:10am – I’m wide awake, so I get up for some quiet time before everyone else wakes up. Coffee, a quick IG scroll and then I start working on my to-do list for the day. I e-mail back and forth with Mark – he sends me a new joke every morning and it’s the best. Today’s: “Did you hear about the semi-colon that broke the law? He was given two consecutive sentences.” Har har har.

5:40am – I sneak in a few pages of reading while it’s still silent. Current book is The Art Detective.

5:50am – TJ is awake and sits with me to cuddle. I try to press on with a few more pages, but M is up a few minutes later and I know reading time is done for now.

6:10am – Mondays are my “catch up on everything I neglected all weekend” days. I start a load of laundry and “fluff” the laundry left in the dryer from Saturday. J wakes up around 6:15 and D and P follow soon after. I get dough for a loaf of honey wheat bread going in the bread machine.

6:30am – I run back to put in my contacts and make my bed, but decide to just wash everything so I strip the bed instead.

6:45am – S, my best sleeper, is awake. The two big boys start breakfast – today they’re making everyone french toast with strawberries.

7:00am – I switch laundry and start a new load, then have my breakfast. Lately I’ve been obsessed with oatmeal with brown sugar, frozen Maine blueberries and a handful of walnuts – it tastes like a blueberry muffin! Delicious.

7:30am – The kids clean the kitchen while I get the baby changed for the day. At 7:35, I find ants in the downstairs bathroom, so it sets me on a “sweep and clean EVERYTHING” spree.

7:50am – My hip/groin muscle is bothering me today so I google “hip strength exercises,” do a few types of lunges and plan to complete a better stretch later in the day. For now, icing and Motrin will have to do.

8:10am – I put the bread dough in a pan to rise. The baby asks for “pop pop” and since that’s his favorite food right now, I agree and make a batch of popcorn…even though it’s 8:00 in the morning.

8:30am – I take laundry out to fold, start another load and have the kids strip their beds so I can do their sheets too. When I come out of the laundry room, I find S and TJ playing “fishing” with a Swiffer and a broom. They tell me they caught a salmon and a baby shark.

8:45am – I do my daily check on the baby birds and make a mental note to ask my dad to borrow his powerwasher. The pollen on the front porch is out of control!

8:50am – I head up to the school room to get ready for our day. The baby is already losing it so I put him in the Ergo and he’s sound asleep in five minutes. I call the kids up at 9:00 and our school day begins.

10:10am – We take a quick break so I can switch laundry and put the bread in the oven. When I return, the boys are wrestling – like always.

10:25am – Back to work. We read about George Washington in history, then math for all and reading for J and S. After some tears and “Mama, it’s just SO hard”, I’m online looking for something to help. I suspect we have another one with dyslexia and while that hurts my heart, I’m thankful I have a bit of experience under my belt.

11:30am – Lunch time! We all have various things with the fresh bread: I have chicken salad, D makes a grilled cheese and the others eat it with strawberry jam.

12:00pm – Quiet hour. I break my rule of “no chores” and fold laundry and make my bed instead. At 12:45, I get an email about M’s standardized test results. We nervously log in and…he did great! A relief for both of us.

1:00pm – I agree to an hour of screentime. The isn’t typical on weekdays, but I’m loosening up with summer on the horizon and they’re taking full advantage of it, hah. Some play on the XBox and others watch TV. I take a look at my to-do list (I’m working on a prototype to make into a notepad for myself) and decide to tackle the new religious book. I search my stacks and choose Mornings with Saint Therese. I also start packaging up the baby shower gift and send an email to my cousin.

1:50pm – Mark calls on his way home. We chat a few minutes.

2:15pm – Screens are off and everyone is upstairs to help make beds and tidy their rooms. I find a disaster in the little boys’ room – clothes everywhere! This is what happens when they aren’t supervised during school.

2:25pm – Mark is home! We all have a snack of salt and pepper pistachios and more popcorn.

3:00pm – I retreat to my room to ice my leg and eat chocolate. I post my daily school photo on Instagram and scroll a little. I love seeing all of the Mother’s Day pictures.

3:30pm – The sun finally comes out, so we all play outside for half an hour. The kids ride bikes and play baseball while I push the baby in the stroller. It is hot and sticky, so we go back inside before everyone gets sweaty. Note to self: this summer, head outside right after breakfast so you don’t melt.

4:00pm – I start on dinner. Tonight we’re having roasted chicken thighs and a bunch of sides leftover from Mother’s Day lunch yesterday. While the chicken is in the oven, I hop in the shower. After, I find three little monkeys making “a nest” with my bed pillows. I take a video for today’s “one second a day”. Fun fact: I haven’t missed a single day since we moved here last summer!

5:00pm – Dinner’s ready!

5:30pm – While the kids clean up the kitchen, I put the little boys in the bathtub and check out the new curriculum guides that arrived in the mail. By 5:45, a huge thunderstorm comes out of nowhere. We have a few minor tree branches fall.

6:30pm – The storm has died down, so Mark and the boys decide at the last minute to still head out for Trail Life. I put on a movie for the littles and sit down to start writing this post. 20 minutes later, I get a text from Mark saying that the road to town is blocked with fallen trees and they have to turn around.

7:10pm – They arrive home safely, but the boys are bummed. I suggest a bowl of ice cream – it’s not the same as seeing friends, but it’s yummy!

7:30pm – The kids head upstairs to play quietly and read for an hour. The little ones get a story and are tucked in. I nurse the baby to sleep and then crash into bed. I finish this post, read until my eyelids get heavy and I’m sure I’ll be sound asleep by 9:30 or 10:00. It was a good, long, productive day.

May 10, 2018

No.118: Highs and Lows // May 2018

I’m having a bit of writer’s block lately, so how ’bout a random assortment of this week’s highs and lows?

HIGH // RUNNING
Geez, I love running. I need to run. My introverted self is so thankful for those 30(ish) minutes of peace! I’ve been surprised to discover that I get a lot of creative ideas while I run, which is both exciting and frustrating. (I panic that I’m going to forget them, so I scramble for pen and paper the second I’m finished, hah! #oldlady) Running is also the best time to listen to podcasts, so that’s been a fun addition to my life too. Tell me your favorites!

HIGH // WATCHING FIVE TINY BABY BIRDS
If my forgetfulness didn’t solidify the fact that I’m an old lady, my bird-watching habits certainly do! The baby birds on our front porch fan hatched last week and I have religiously checked in on them every day since. New life is so amazing.

LOW // SMOOSHED BANANA IN THE LIVING ROOM RUG
Alternatively titled, “Why We Can’t Have Nice Things.” How in the world did it get there? How long has it been there?

HIGH // SENDING POSTCARDS
I just finished another batch of postcards for my Springtime Postcard Project. I really enjoy addressing them and learning about cities I’ve never heard of all around the United States. (Makes me want to plot them on a map!)
P.S. I still have over ten spots left if you’re interested – I’d love to send you one!

HIGH // TODDLERS IN SUMMER CLOTHES
Those bare legs! Those little feet in little sandals!

LOW // STINKBUGS
I sound more than a little crazy, but stinkbugs are my nemesis. After finding one crawling on my bed one night – and then getting the willies and a horrible night sleep after! – I’ve become obsessed with eradicating them from the house. I think I’ve figured out their entry point, but need a bit more surveillance. See? Crazy.

HIGH // CHICKEN SALAD
I made my go-to chicken salad for lunches this week and it is so good. Easy to make and it has tons of protein. I’ve been eating it open-faced on a piece of bread (even better if it’s homemade) or just in a bowl by itself. I may have to make a double batch next time because it only lasted half the week.

HIGH // A PLAYDATE WITH FRIENDS
We went to a playdate on Tuesday and it was so nice to chat with another adult about everything from homeschooling to family issues to home decor. So thankful for friendship.

LOW // MODELING CLAY SMEARED INTO MY TEXTURED WALLS
My THREE-YEAR-OLD. Why??? I’m still trying to figure out the best way to remove it (the texture walls are just destroying everything from a dishtowel to a Magic Eraser) so that loveliness is there to stay for awhile.

HIGH // KIDS CUPS IN RAINBOW ORDER
I may or may not line them all up when the kids aren’t looking.

HIGH // BRICK EDGING FOR OUR FRONT FLOWER BEDS ARE GOING IN NEXT WEEK!
Barring any rain, our brick flowerbeds are being installed next week. I am so excited! If you need me, I’ll be scrolling Pinterest for plant ideas.