The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

{around here} Week 2/52: Week of 1.9.17

A collection of our ordinary days, recorded every week.


Around here, I have been: 

feeling out of practice photographing our everyday life.  How quickly that happens!  I often have a baby in my arms and with my phone set aside (I’m really really working on this goal this year!), the camera is getting dusty on the shelf and no pictures are being taken.  Hoping to be better in the future.

surviving Week Two of our No-Spend Challenge.  It’s been very eye-opening for me how impulsively we purchase things.  If I ran out of one specific cereal (regardless of the fact that we still had two or three more in the pantry), I’d order a couple more on Jet.  If I made it to dinnertime only to discover the meat had gone bad, we’d just order out.  So many bad habits!  It’s been such a good lesson in true need vs. want.

using a new app called Favado to see what’s on sale at the nearby grocery stores.  Mark and I love it!

listening to Fountain of Carrots’ episode with Blythe (SO good!) and a new find similar to Serial, In the Dark.

putting our first house on the market!  We’ve been renting it out since we moved four years ago and finally decided it was time to sell.  Prayers and crossed fingers it sells quickly.

finishing The Invention of Hugo Cabret and working through The Awakening of Miss Prim.  I’ve also been reading The Littlest Family’s Big Day, which was Sophie’s Epiphany book this year.  The story is so sweet and I love the illustrations.

Big White Farmhouse notes:
+ I took a little “maternity leave”/break from social media, but I’m getting ready to come back to celebrate our third birthday!
+ Lots of new products have been arriving this week, including a gorgeous berry basket recipe box and more menu notepads.  My favorite is the Summer Blooms notepad – the quote on top goes so well with my word of the year.  Might need to keep one for myself!

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SEE THE GOOD: a happy, positive or funny find
Mark and I will definitely be volunteering in something like this when our babies are grown.

RELIGIOUS TRUTH TO PONDER: a piece of my faith to think about or put into practice
The Beatitudes respond to the natural desire for happiness.  This desire is of divine origin: God has placed it in the human heart in order to draw man to the One who alone can fulfill it.  (CCC 1718)

THIS WEEK’S MENU:
th: leftovers
f: homemade pizza

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{currently} 20 Things I Love: A Gratitude Journal vol.10

I’ve recently heard about the concept of “hygge” and have been trying to incorporate it into my days.  I loved how this blogger described it: “Hygge (pronounced hue-gah) is a Danish word that is a feeling or mood that comes taking genuine pleasure in making ordinary, every day moments more meaningful, beautiful or special. Whether it’s making coffee a verb by creating a ritual of making it then lingering over a cup to a cosy evening in with friends to the simple act of lighting a candle with every meal. Hygge is being aware of a good moment whether it’s simple or special.”  This list was inspired by that.


waking up to freshly fallen snow

playing cards with Mark by the Netflix “fireplace”
our little space heater
a book in my hand instead of a phone (still a work in progress, but better!)
when P smiles in his sleep
the smell of uplifting citrus oils in the diffuser
M’s help making lunches in the morning
“Those who leave everything in God’s hands will eventually see God’s hands in everything.”
my new slippers
the boys’ rosy pink cheeks when they come home from school
clementines by the dozens
piping hot coffee in my favorite mug
stew in the slow cooker that makes the kitchen smell delicious
the quilt my grandmother made us as a wedding gift
early evening candlelight
pacing the hallway with a baby in my arms
baking chocolate chip cookies with Sophia
my go-to infinity scarf knit by a friend
J in his favorite Ninja Turtle pajamas (which are just a little too small)
falling into our cozy bed after another exhausting day

{around here} Week 1/52: Week of 1.2.17 – Round Three!

A collection of our ordinary days, recorded every week.

Around here, I have been:


easing back into blogging.  I’m still in the thick of sleep-deprived delirium, but hopefully I’ll be able to make relative sense.    


getting back into a routine after Christmas break.  Having a baby at the beginning of December really made the whole month a blur.  It was so nice to have the big boys home, but difficult too.  Since they have been in school, I’ve noticed that it takes a few days for them to remember how to play and enjoy being around each other again.  The first week was rough with the bickering and fighting, but they finally found their groove at week two…juuust in time to go back to school.  

 celebrating one month with baby P!  He has such a pleasant personality and we are all so in love with him.  We joke that little babies are like fireplaces – you can just stare and watch them for hours!  


loving all of the goals people are hoping to achieve in 2017.  So inspiring!  It’s my first true test in SLOW, though – I want to try everything!  Reading a book from every state?  Sounds fun!  Running 2017 miles in 2017?  Sounds hard but a good challenge!  Trying a new creative outlet every month?  I’d love that!…and on and on.  Instead, I’ve been jotting down my favorites for future 100 Little Things lists and sticking to my own plan.  One thing at a time.      

 trying out a new household cleaning/organizing routine with the help of The Confident Mom’s Household Planner (it’s free!).  I like how she has the tasks already laid out for me – no extra thinking, I just check off the boxes.

 starting a 12-week program with the Mutu System in the hopes of healing myself a bit after all of these pregnancies.  I actually did a “soft start” last week and love it already!  So excited to heal my diastasis recti and not pee every time I jump, run or sneeze!
(P.S. The Mutu System is 15% off through January 15 if you’re interested too)

 reading The Birth Order Book and getting ready to start The Invention of Hugo Cabret with M.

 playing cards with Mark after the kids go to bed.  Queen of Spades is our current favorite. 

Big White Farmhouse notes:
+ New shelving is going up in the office!  I love the change and hope to finish up this weekend.  
+ Lots of work behind the scenes reordering products we sold during Christmas, including more succulent planters (LOVE these!) and menu planning notepads (perfect for getting back into the dinner planning groove).
+ I’ve also been putting a ton of products in our sale section – trying to make room for all of the new finds to come! (Use the coupon code BWFNEWYEAR for an extra 10% off!)

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SEE THE GOOD: a happy, positive or funny find 
I stumbled onto Milk&Hannah Photo on Instagram and was instantly touched by her work.  Probably because P’s birth experience is still so fresh, I found her photographs so beautiful and vulnerable.  I truly believe that giving birth is one of the most supernatural experiences of my life.



RELIGIOUS TRUTH TO PONDER: a piece of my faith to think about or put into practice
“I ask you to consider that our Lord Jesus Christ is your true head, and that you are one of his members.  He belongs to you as the head belongs to its members; all that is his is yours; his spirit, his heart, his body and soul, and all his faculties.  You must make use of all these as of your own, to serve, praise, love and glorify God.  You belong to him, as members belong to their head.  And so he longs for you to use all that is in you, as if it were his own, for the service and glory of the Father.” -St. John Eudes

THIS WEEK’S MENU
m: pasta and homemade meat sauce, salad
t: Taco Tuesday
w: leftovers
th: pork loin, brussel sprouts
f: Epiphany – french onion meatballs, mashed potatoes, salad

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{year of slow} Some Goals for January





Things to Look Forward To
– one month with our sweet baby!
– embarking on a month of no-spending
– (hopefully!) waking up to fresh snow 
– beginning to start the healing process with the MuTu System

Things to Work On
– upgrades to the Big White Farmhouse office (all purchased before the No-Spend Challenge!)
– reading the first few books for the Popsugar Reading Challenge
– thank you notes
– adding more vegetables to my meals

Things to Think About
– a pie to bake
– a documentary to watch
– a new project to combine creativity with daily gratitude
– “Keeping up is easier than catching up”
– a way to say thank you to our mailman

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