The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

{five favorites} Vol.07: Swagbucks, Dress Up Skirts & Adult Coloring Books


Welcome to the first Five Favorites of 2016!
I’m so excited to tell you 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.  I’ve been starting to pick up a few things already and I can’t wait to share!

On to the favorites this week:

{1}
(mine came from StitchFix and is similar)
Where do I even begin?  In a nut shell, this is a poncho in sweater material with sleeves (I call mine a “swancho”, hah) and it is my cold weather staple this year.  So warm!  It’s hard to tell, but the sides are open, so you do have to wear something underneath.  I like to wear it with either leggings or skinny jeans.  It’s really just a slightly more socially acceptable Snuggie, but I’m in love.

I use Swagbucks as my primary search engine.  They have multiple ways to earn points, which can then be traded in for gift cards.  I’m planning to save my points, trying to earn enough Amazon cards to make a significant dent in my Christmas shopping next December.  (If you want to sign up, I’d love for you to use my referral link!)
{3}
Melissa and Doug Dress-Up Skirts
I ordered these skirts (per Rosie‘s recommendation) for Sophie’s birthday last fall and they are in heavy rotation around here.  She wears at least two daily, even to the point where she’ll change out of her pajamas at bedtime for her “sleeping skirt”.  They also wash really well; ours have seen their share of spills and accidents.  We highly recommend for little girls!

{4}


Hello wine and bagel bites…Krispie Kreme gives me life…

{5}
Need a stress reliever?  This coloring book for adults has gorgeous art throughout with a mix of Bible verses and inspirational quotes.  I love every page and I’m sure I’ll have a bunch of them washi taped to my office walls.  Now to steal the colored pencils away from my kids…
(I received this coloring book from Blogging for Books, but all opinions are my own.)
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I’d love to hear about five of your favorite things too!  Need some ideas?  Here are a few to get you started:
+ Share five of your favorite people to follow on Instagram or Pinterest.
+ What are five things your family got for Christmas?
+ Name five of your goals or resolutions for the new year.


{learn goals} Living Seasonally in January & a Free Printable!

This is a packed post.  Each month in 2016, I hope to share a bunch of ideas for living the fullness of that month.   The possibilities are endless, but I plan to include church feast days, small celebrations, books, crafts ideas and delicious foods to eat.  In no way do I think I will be able to pull off ALL of this, nor should you!  My hope is to provide a handy resource to check in on and get ideas.  I’ve also included a handy printable at the end. Here we go!   

January is here.  New beginnings and new opportunities.  With cold weather outside, we have the opportunity to really work on the inside of our homes.  We can declutter what we don’t need, making our spaces warm, cozy and welcoming.  We can eat hearty, stick-to-your-ribs meals and drink warm, soothing beverages.  We can practice gratitude in new ways.

Below are a bunch of ideas for celebrating the fullness of this month.  Again, let me say that in no way do I think anyone (me included!) should think they can pull off ALL of this.  My hope is that you could pick and choose what you’d like to do with your own family.  I’ve done the leg work for you.  You just need to add the most important ideas to your calendar and get ready for memory making!

LITURGICAL YEAR

CELEBRATIONS

BOOKS TO READ

ACTIVITIES TO DO




Why I Blog & What to Expect in 2016

As we enter into January, I am over four years into blogging here at the Big White Farmhouse.  Crazy!!  Every fall, I debate retiring, but one thing always keeps me coming back: you.  With all of the time and love I pour into this blog, I’d be tickled to earn a few dollars from the space, but honestly?  The money means way less than the people who come here.  I’m so thankful for your comments, your enthusiasm and your support.  

In 2016, I’m on a mission to bring community back to blogging.  
You matter.  You, the mom of many.  You, the mom of little bitties.  You, the mom with big kids.  You, who blog about your family and your ordinary days.  You, who want to start a blog, but think it may be a waste of time.  Your words matter, friends!  You are not alone.  I’m hoping this year, we can connect in stronger ways, encouraging each other to carry on in our vocations as mothers.  

I’m excited for what’s to come in our little community.  Here’s what to expect at The Big White Farmhouse this year:

I am so glad I stuck with this series last year and am excited to continue on in 2016.  These posts are my personal reflections for every week: what we did, what we ate, and those little things I don’t want to forget.  I also think that seen as a whole, they show my own personal growth as I strive to be a better person, wife, mother and friend.

New for 2016!  I had a hard few months at the end of 2015 and after a lot of soul-searching, I decided I’d like to revisit a few activities that used to make me feel excited and fired up.  Scrapbooking was an activity I gave up years ago, but as I purchased a binder and a few new papers, I could feel the creativity tingling in my fingertips.  The plan is to make a physical representation of my “Around Here” posts in scrapbook form and I’ll be sharing bits and pieces along the way.  

One of the goals on my Life List is to create “100 Beautiful Things” and I’d like to make a bigger dent this year.  Being a perfectionist, I tend to shy away from things I’m not naturally good at.  I want to work on that in the new year and I’ll be sharing the good, bad and (hopefully not) ugly.

Better health is always a work in progress, isn’t it?  I’m back at it again this year with a new motto: “You can run, you can walk or you can crawl…but you just don’t stop.”  No quitting in 2016!

I started this list of 100 Little Things last August, so I’ve got six months to go!  I love referring to it when I need a creative boost or am feeling in a rut.  

During my contentment series last October, I came to the simple realization that I can’t expect to feel happy in my house unless I attempt to pour a little love into it.  A blank box will always be a blank box unless I make it feel like home.  I’ll be decluttering like a fool and making a list of projects to accomplish.  

Reading is another one of those long pushed aside passions and I’m so glad I’ve gotten back into the habit!  Last year, I read 26 books and I’m hoping to read even more in 2016.  We always welcome new members in The Inspired Readers Book Club too if you need the accountability!

Last but not least, I’ll be hosting the #5Faves linkup every Wednesday, sharing my favorite products, tips and recipes.  The linkup is an easy blogging topic when you have writer’s block or just want to meet new blogging friends.  I hope you’ll participate this year!

I’ve also got a few fun ideas in the works: more giveaways and maybe even a swap of some sort too.  Here’s to a year full of creativity and community!  


P.S. You may notice that my monthly goal setting is missing from the list.  In 2016, I’m trying something new and can’t wait to share it with you tomorrow.  I hope it leads to a memory-filled, but less of a “check in the box” way to live a full life.

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Let’s Stay Connected in 2016!
Follow the Big White Farmhouse on Bloglovin’, Feedly or in your Inbox.  
I’m also on most social media: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.

{around here} Weeks 51/52 & 52/52: Weeks of 12.21.15 & 12.28.15

A collection of our ordinary days, recorded every week.  At the end of the year, I’ll publish them into a keepsake to treasure.

Around here, I have been:


celebrating the completion of an entire year’s worth of Around Here entries!  I’m shocked that I kept it up and am so thankful for all of the memories documented.  I can’t wait to compile it altogether.  I’m also thinking about continuing on for another year – as I look back through the entries, the little details recorded are so priceless.  


enjoying such a simple, peaceful Christmas week.  The past few years have been a bit stressful and exhausting, but I have loved every minute of this one.  We hit the jackpot with the kids’ gifts (three gifts for each: one from Mom & Dad, one from Santa and a big group gift) and they all were really pleased. We also loved spending the day with family.  Being in my parent’s house always transports me back to being a little girl…it just feels like Christmas.      


reading The Magic of Ordinary Days and I also started Big Magic for the book club.


listening to Sophia say her bedtime prayers. I love hearing that sweet little three-year-old voice and her random lists of gratitude: “Thank you for my dresses…and my guys…and protein bars..”


playing cards.  Our current favorite is Queen of Spades and woo!  In case I didn’t already know, we are a bunch of competitive people!  
getting the bug to declutter (again!), organize and change things around.  I’m planning to follow along with the 91 Day Declutter Challenge, with the hope that the bite-sized chunks will be easier to include in my busy schedule.    

planning for 2016, but trying to leave room for possibility and unexpected change.  I’m excited to see where this new year takes us!

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