The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

{learn goals} What I Learned in January

{via}



(1) ESSENTIAL OILS ARE AWESOME, BUT A LITTLE OVERWHELMING.
After researching for weeks and weeks (and saving my pennies too!), I finally purchased the Premium Starter Kit.  The kit came with 11 oils and a diffuser, which turns out to be a great deal versus purchasing them individually.  I’m a little overwhelmed with all of the education out there (what oils need a carrier oil, what works for everyone and what should be avoided on kids, etc etc), but starting small and I love it so far!  We use the diffuser almost everyday.  Our current favorites are Thieves (which smells like chai tea to me) and the boys love Lavender in their room at bedtime.  
(My member number is #3507725 if you ever want to order something!)


(2) SLOWING DOWN TO DO ART IN THE MORNING IS FUN AND I SHOULD DO IT MORE OFTEN.
Our big Christmas gift for all of the kids was an IKEA cart filled with art supplies.  We call it the “art cart” and it’s housed in the coat closet for easy access when they want to make masterpieces.  I usually let them go to town on their own, but occasionally, I’ve found inspiration on Pinterest and we spend some time in the morning creating together.  It is SO good for my soul.  Stretching myself, trying new things (like acrylic paint and watercolors) and even making crappy art.  I need to create with the kids more often.     


(3) IT’S BEEN A LONG, LONG TIME SINCE I’VE HAD A PROPER BRA FITTING.
Being pregnant or nursing for the past ten years, I’m a total mess in this department.  Since getting a professional fitting was currently out of the question, I followed the advice on this infographic and what.a.difference.  If you’re overdue too, I highly recommend.


(4) I FEEL A LOT BETTER WHEN I DON’T EAT SUGAR.
I love sugar.  Like a lot.  But I know how much damage it does to my insides and since 2016 is the year I start acting like a grownup and taking better care of myself, I’m trying to go without (meaning, I won’t make cookies “for the kids” three times a week and eat most of the batch).  I really do feel so much better!  And being an abstainer, it’s crazy to me how quickly the desire goes away when I just don’t eat it.    


(5) THERE ARE SO MANY AMAZING CHURCHES AROUND THE WORLD.
I’m taking a class on The Great Courses Plus called The World’s Greatest Churches and nerd alert: I love it.  My baby sister, a senior in high school, got a good laugh when she heard I was taking a college lecture-like class online for the fun of it.  I find it all so fascinating: the iconography, the architecture, the influence of different religions!         

(6) SCHEDULING SOCIAL MEDIA AHEAD OF TIME FULFILLS TWO GOALS: SHARING WELL-WRITTEN WORK FROM BLOGGERS AND AVOIDING UNNECESSARY SCREEN TIME.
I am passionate about supporting fellow bloggers, but I also don’t want to spend tons of time online.  Buffer has been a lifesaver in making those goals both possible!  I spend a little time each week searching for good content to share, schedule them between my Facebook page and Twitter account and I’m done!  Love how easy and efficient it is. 


(7) INTENTIONALLY SAYING POSITIVE THINGS ABOUT MYSELF IS HARD, BUT NECESSARY.
I am my absolute worst critic and can be really hard on myself.  I’ve started to try to speak to myself like I would speak to my daughter and while it sometimes kills me, it’s also incredibly needed.  So when Mark asks me how my run went, instead of saying, “It was awful and I’m so slow and I’ll never get back in shape…”, I say “I’m better than I was yesterday.”  Baby steps.


(8) I’M MAKING OVER MY MORNINGS A LITTLE BIT AT A TIME.
I took Crystal Paine’s Make Over Your Mornings 14-Day Course and while some of the material is the preacher talking to the choir (you know me and goal setting!), I have been really inspired to tweak our mornings to be more productive and peaceful.  A few baby steps in that direction: helping my future self out by going to bed with a clean kitchen and relatively picked up house, taking time to say my morning prayers and meal-planning for more nutritious breakfasts.


(9) HOLY WATER IS A WONDERFUL THING.
We have a few bottles of holy water high up in our kitchen cabinet and I ran into them randomly as I was cleaning one day.  This led to a rabbit trail of Google searches, where I learned so much!  (This Q&A and this blog post are a good start.)  I found a beautiful antique on etsy (there are tons of gorgeous choices there!) and we just hung it by our garage door.  


(10) ACCORDING TO SOPHIA, THE KEY TO A GOOD LIFE IS BEING HAPPY AND FUNNY.
So thankful for my girl and for showing me that life doesn’t always need to be so complicated.

{five favorites} Vol.10: January’s #5Faves Prize Pack

Welcome to the Five Favorites linkup!
A reminder about a new twist I’m adding to the linkup this year: At the end of each month, I’ll be giving away a prize pack to one #5Faves participant!  Here’s how it works: every time you link up a blog post, it counts as one entry.  So if you link up a post every week, you’d get four entries.  I’ll keep track throughout the month and then randomly pick a winner on February 1.  

Since today is the last Five Favorites linkup of the month, I’m sharing the five items in January’s Prize Pack!  A few notes:  I wanted to start the Prize Pack incentive as a way to thank you for visiting here and linking up your posts.  It’s my small way of showing you that your words are being heard!  I read every single entry and try to comment on or share a few (I wish I could do this for every one – not enough hours in the day!)  

 The giveaway items I’ve chosen are a mix of some of my favorite things: etsy finds, vintage pieces and little bits picked up from various stores.  All have been purchased by me and nothing has been sponsored.  Here’s what I have for one lucky winner in January:  

1 // Thick Knit Slouchy Beanie in Taupe

2 // To-Do Notepad from Print Stitch & Paste
3 // Organic Wild Berry Tea

4 // Snowy Scene Stoneware Mug from ChattCatVintage
5 // Mrs. Meyer’s Hand Soap in Cranberry


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 I’d love to hear above five of your favorite things too!  Need some ideas?  Here are a few to get you started:
+ What are your five favorite winter essentials?
+ Lent is just around the corner.  What are five of your go-to meatless meals?
+ What are five pieces of advice you would tell a new bride or mom?


{book report} My Latest Reads // January

As my part of my Learn goals for 2016, I’m reading a variety of styles and genres of books in the attempt to discover new ideas and expand my horizons.  My goal is to read at least 25 this year, of which I’m keeping track on Goodreads.  Are you over there?  Let’s connect! 

13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi
Military history is not typically a genre I would ever choose on my own.  Mark received this book for Christmas, devoured it in a matter of days and recommended that I read it too.  13 Hours is the story of what happened in the Benghazi raids that killed the Ambassador and three other men in 2012.  It isn’t politically motivated (which I appreciate), but written from the perspective of the security team who fought that night.  Well written, intense and gripping.  I couldn’t put it down.


Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear
Big Magic was our January choice for the Inspired Reader’s Book Club.  While parts of it are definitely a bit “woo woo” for me, I did come away inspired and looking at creativity in a different way.  The thing I loved most about the book was the idea that creativity, in whatever way that shows up in your life, doesn’t have to be life-changing or extreme.  It doesn’t even have to be good.  Creativity can just be that small thing that makes you feel alive, tucked into the busyness of your life.  Since finishing the last pages, I’ve unearthed a few half-finished craft projects, made plans to begin a few more, and started brainstorming a way to give creativity a more permanent spot in my day. 


The Temperament God Gave You
This book has been on my “100 Little Things” list, so when my friend recommended and even let me borrow her copy, I was so excited!  Such a good book about personalities and how different people view themselves and life in general.  I struggled to figure out my temperament, but I think I’m leaning toward a combination of melancholic and phlegmatic.  My favorite parts were the discussions about relationships between different temperaments, namely with your spouse and with your children.  So eye-opening!  It’s definitely the type of book you can go back and review again and again.  I need to order myself a copy soon.      


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My Reading in Numbers

Books Read this Month: 3
Total Books Read this Year: 3
Books Read for the Modern Mrs. Darcy 2016 Challenge: 2 
A book you’ve been meaning to read and A book chosen for me by my spouse

What books did you read this month?

{around here} Week 3/52: Week of 1.18.16

A collection of our ordinary days, recorded every week.

Around here, I have been:


parenting solo as Mark was away on business.  Only two nights this time!


preparing for the snow.  The predictions keep getting higher and higher.  At last check, we may be getting more than two FEET!  As usual, we are so unprepared – the big boys don’t have boots and M doesn’t even have a waterproof coat!  But our pantry is full, so there’s that! 


watching TED talks in order to cross that task off my 100 Little Things list.  I love learning from such a variety of thinkers and topics.  My favorite: What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness


eating popcorn for National Popcorn Day and watching Mulan.


thinking about this quote from Big Magic: “I’ve watched far too many brilliant and gifted female creators say, ‘I am 99.8 percent qualified for this task, but until I master that last smidgen of ability, I will hold myself back, just to be on the safe side.'”

dying over TJ’s new love for music. He carries around the speaker and dances, which is just about the cutest thing ever.  He also loves his hats, which takes it up a notch too.


laughing at Sophie as she watches Super Why: “I got it right, Mama!  Look, I’m learning!”


homeschool notes:
+ We tried to make Star Wars snowflakes.  Definitely tricky for little hands and we didn’t have an Exacto knife, but the storm trooper was simple enough to make fairly recognizable.
+ To reinforce multiplication tables (he’s still struggling with the 4s, 7s, and 8s), M practiced with online games, a hit!  The website also has games for addition and subtraction, so D and J got in the fun too.

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