The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

{book club} The Inspired Readers Book Club: Join Us!

Happy Monday!


Did you get a chance to read my “Top Five Favorite Ways to Support Bloggers” post I wrote last week?  I’ve been so pleased with the response and the conversation it has started.  Sometimes I fear that the blog world has been overtaken with the desire to make money.  And while there’s nothing wrong with that, I’m sad that the beautiful relationships that could be created have taken the back burner.  The friendships I’ve made through this space have been invaluable to me and what keep me writing year after year.  


I’m on a mission to bring community back!


All that to say, I’d like to introduce you to two great ladies that I have met through blogging: Tabitha and Shelly.  Although we live in different corners of the country and have never met (yet!), I consider them both friends.  Our common thread is our desire for living full, intentional lives.  And while that desire manifests itself differently in each of us, I am no less inspired by them.  So…I’m so excited to tell you that the three of us decided to start a book club!

Here are the details:


Our first book is going to be Make It Happen by Lara Casey.  We thought it was the perfect choice to start with since intentional living is what brought us together in the first place!  We will be reading and discussing this book for eight weeks, which takes us through June and July.  We think this is the perfect pace for the summer and it should be easy to fit the chapters in during all of your summer fun!


The reading schedule is as follows:
Week 1 (starting today!): Introduction to the Book Club, “Welcome to your Start”
Week 2 (June 8): Chapters 1-3
Week 3 (June 15): Chapters 4-6
Week 4 (June 22): Chapters 7-9
Week 5 (June 29): Chapters 10-12
Week 6 (July 6): Steps #1 & #2
Week 7 (July 13): Step #3
Week 8 (July 20): Step #4 & #5


We’ve started a private Facebook group (join us here!) and every Monday will post a few questions to get the conversation going.  Feel free to pop in when you can to add your thoughts!  This book club is not meant to be stressful or add another commitment to your already full plate.  Our intention with this book club is to read a wide range of books while creating community.  We want our book club to be fun and something you look forward to!  


Please don’t worry if you fall behind.  We’re hoping the conversations in the Facebook group will still be fruitful and helpful to you.  So don’t get discouraged!  Do the best you can and show up anyway!


Shelly, Tabitha and I are all mothers of little ones, but this book club is not limited to just moms.  I firmly believe that we all have so much to teach other!



Our hope is that this book club will be a fun activity where you will be challenged to learn something new and leave inspired.  We want to bounce ideas around, laugh and engage in honest, meaningful discussion.  Most importantly, we hope to create a thriving, supportive community!  We would love to have you!  

Are you in? See you over in the Facebook group!

{around here} Week 21/52: Week of 5.25.15


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:

watching American Sniper on Memorial Day.  A good reminder of the cost of freedom.  I am humbled and thankful for the sacrifices of many who didn’t make it home.


working behind the scenes on our new book club!  All the details will go live on Monday.


devastated (only a slight exaggeration) to discover our bird eggs missing from the nest.  After two weeks of watching “our” birds, we woke up one morning to find the nest unattended.  I waited about two hours (which was very strange, since they had always taken turns being in the nest) before checking in on the eggs…and was shocked to find an empty nest.  We were so sad and disappointed!  According to all the research we had done, the babies would have hatched this week and I had it on the calendar like a proud grandmother.  So bummed that the kids and I won’t be able to watch the hatching.  Mark just laughs at my crazy. 


eating all the foods of summer: lots of BBQ (Mark made racks of ribs, pork shoulder for pulled pork sandwiches, and brats this week), watermelon, corn on the cob and ice cream cones.  I love this time of year.    


starting a brand new exercise program: Jamie Eason’s LiveFit.  Weight lifting is totally foreign to me, but I know it is the fastest way to lose fat and gain muscle, both of which I need to become a better runner.  My husband used to be a personal trainer, so he has helped me learn the exercises and adapt them to our home gym.  I am sore in muscles I never knew I had!  Although it is hard to begin something I know nothing about (and have little muscle strength to boot), I’m excited to push myself and see what I can do.  Like Mark said, “Remember when you thought you’d never be able to run 13.1 miles?  Boom.  You’ll be lifting the heavy weights in no time.”  


watching the kids’ creativity with one of my childhood favorites, Perler beads!  The boys have been good about keeping them in the tray (Sophie’s another story, ahem…) and the beads keep them occupied forever!  D even said, “These are better than Legos!” which is high praise in this household.


celebrating the results from M’s testing!  Although it mostly confirmed what I already knew, it’s nice to see he’s going in the right direction.  On to third grade we go! 
    
thankful that TJ’s first top tooth has poked through!  Also thankful for the Ergo…that child is attached to me all day long and having him on my back has been a lifesaver.  I wouldn’t get anything accomplished without it! 


introducing the big kids to Mad Libs.  They think they are the funniest thing!  

working on a new “Celebrations” section for Big White Farmhouse.  I put in the purchase orders this week, so we’ll hopefully be able to launch the new products in the next few weeks!  


P.S. Big White Farmhouse is having a big sale on our seed bombs this week!  25% off all three varieties with the coupon code “GARDEN25“.  Sale lasts until Sunday, May 31.

{book report} My Latest Reads // May

Where’d You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple
This was such a unique, fun read!  The book is set up unlike anything I’ve ever read – a series of flashbacks, emails, and other documents all woven together to tell an interesting (and sometimes funny!) story.  It was definitely a page turner; I wanted to figure out where Bernadette disappeared to!  Perfect for summer, I’d recommend as a fast beach read.


See You in a Hundred Years by Logan Ward
This book is about a couple’s challenge to spend an entire year living like it was 1900.  If it didn’t exist 100 years ago, they went without.  That includes everything from electricity to the internet to indoor plumbing!  Although I read some critical reviews, I still found the premise intriguing.  It reinforced my desire to live in a farmhouse in the country, although I’d like to keep all my modern conveniences, hah!


A Fifty Year Silence by Miranda Richmond Mouillot
I’ve been struggling to put into words how I feel after reading this book.  Essentially, it’s a memoir about a granddaughter discovering her family history and how it coincided with World War II.  It is a story about relationships, the good and the bad, and how life events can alter even the most well-intentioned.  It was an interesting read and I finished it quickly.  As the eternal optimist, I wanted a happy ending, which it couldn’t deliver.  But life isn’t always sunshine and roses, right?     
(I received this book from Blogging for Books, but all opinions are my own.)

What are you reading this summer?  I always love recommendations!

{friendship} My Top Five Favorite Ways to Support Bloggers



One of my goals for May was to support my blogging friends in a more active way.  Instead of looking at blogs as solely a way to ingest information, I tried to do my part too.  This goal is still a big work in progress.  Like many, my blog reading time is so limited, but here are five ways I’ve been trying to be intentional about spreading love to other bloggers:   


1.  Leave a meaningful comment. // With today’s social media, it is way too easy to simply “like” or heart a blog post without any real effort.  And while there is nothing wrong with that, I’ve been trying to take the time and really add to the conversation instead.  Bloggers LOVE comments.  Sometimes blogging can feel like a one-sided conversation and to have someone take the time to leave their thoughts…well, it’s special.  I love hearing from my readers, so I’m now trying to do the same.

2. Share. // Have you ever read a post and found yourself nodding in agreement the entire time?  Maybe you tried a blogger’s recipe or followed her tutorial and the result was amazing?  Instead of just ingesting that information and moving on, I’ve been sharing it with my family and friends.  I’d also like to add a monthly roundup into my blog rotation because the internet is SO full of amazing, talented women.    


3. Click on the sidebar ads. // Many of the blogs I read are just small time mama blogs like me.  We put a few ads on our sidebars in the hopes that maybe someday, we’ll earn enough to receive a check.  Depending on your pageviews, most ads only generate pennies a day, but something is better than nothing!  I have tried to get into the habit of reading a blog post, then quickly scanning the sidebar for an ad to click.  It just takes a few seconds more, but I hope it helps get that mama a little closer to her goal.   


4. Shop through their links. // Similar to #3 above, small mama blogs like mine also include affiliate links as a way to generate a little income.  When you click through their link and then make a purchase, a teeny percentage will go back to the blogger at no additional cost to you.  The most popular affiliate I’ve seen is Amazon, so I try to find a blogger to support every time I make a purchase.  I look for an ad (like on my own sidebar) or even scan a few posts for a product link.  


5. Cheer them on! // Not all of us are meant to become big-name bloggers and that is okay.  Even so, our voice is still important.  I tend to be a bit bashful about praising others, but am working to get out of my comfort zone and do it anyway!  To the blogger that inspires you, makes you laugh and challenges you to be better, let her know and cheer her on.  I think those bloggers deserve to know that their presence on the internet is worthwhile.  

Linking up with Rachel!  What ways do you support the blogs that you love to read?  And tell me your favorites – I’m always looking for great reads!

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