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The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

May 15, 2015

{around here} Week 19/52: Week of 5.11.15



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:



recovering from last weekend’s festivities and preparing for another big one ahead! My world seems so busy and I’m so ready for it to slow down a bit.  


thinking about priorities, making good use of my free time, blogging and how the three of them relate.  I think it’s easy to get caught up in page views and Pinterest-worthy posts, but that’s not really why I started this blog.  I’m not an expert or a teacher; I’m just a mom in love with her family and her home.  Ultimately, I want to create a virtual scrapbook of our days and share a little about how I’m growing/changing.  It may not make me lots of money, but it’s enough.              

watching a mama bird in one of our hanging baskets!  After some research, we think she (and the daddy) are mourning doves.  It has been so fascinating to watch them work together to make a nest.  We even peeked and saw two eggs!  A few more amazing facts, courtesy of this website: 

Mourning Doves raise three or more broods in a single breeding season. Both parents build a flimsy platform nest of twigs located from 5 to 25 feet up in a tree or bush. Two white eggs hatch in about 14 – 16 days. One egg is laid in the evening, and the second on the next morning. The male usually incubates the egg during the day, and the female incubates at night. Nestlings, cared for by both parents, fledge in about 12-14 days. The parents continue to care for the fledglings until they are 25 to 27 days old.

This also probably seals the deal that I am indeed an elderly lady trapped in a 30-year-old body. 

purchasing an Ergo after a week of a teething baby who doesn’t want to be put down.  I really should have purchased one two babies ago, but am biting the bullet now.  I need him on my back so I can get things done!


loving Sophie’s sweet heart.  No matter what I make, she is so complimentary and will say, “Oh mama, ‘licious cookies!” or “‘Licious pancakes, mama!”

reading very little, only a few pages in Beyond the Birds and the Bees.  I need to get back in my groove.

celebrating the end of our school year!  With our big head start last summer, we are weeks ahead of the local public schools.  We’ll still be doing history throughout the summer (at M’s request!) and D will still have his reading lessons, but I’m ready for the break.

packaging up a fun donation for the ladies at the Catholic Women’s Blogging Network Conference in Ohio next weekend.  I am so happy to have Big White Farmhouse included in their raffle!

feeling nervous and excited for Sunday.  It’s so surreal to finally be at this point after training for 14 weeks and I’m anxious to see how I do.  Ready to get ‘er done!  

May 8, 2015

{around here} Week 18/52: Week of 5.4.15

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:


preparing for our big First Communion weekend.  We have lots of family coming, so I am cleaning, putting together a guest room and making a big delicious menu!  I truly am in disbelief that M is old enough for this big occasion.  I am fairly certain that I may cry on Saturday, so let’s pray I stay at happy tears and not veer into the ugly cry, hah!  

sticking close to home as we’ve had workers in and out all week fixing our basement from the flood damage.  They are doing great work, but many of our things have been displaced around the house and with our big weekend coming up, it’s left me a little stressed.  Trying to remember that some things are out of my control and that’s okay. 

dying at the cute things Sophie says.  When TJ had a blowout, she ran upstairs and got him a new outfit.  I said, “Thank you for helping me!” and she replied, “Problem!” (meaning no problem).

reading Beyond the Birds and the Bees.

loving the ferns I picked up at Lowes last weekend.  It might quite possibly make me an 80 year old grandma, but they really do make me happy.  Now if I can keep them alive…

finishing (finally!) a project that’s been on my to-do list for over a year: we turned the cross-stitched superheroes into throw pillows for the boys’ beds.  The boys were in charge of the colors and design and they are all so proud.  Sophie was a little jealous, so I am quickly getting to work on a princess version.  


testing M.  It was pretty painless and I think he did well.  We just sent it off to Seton and hope to receive the results soon!

participating in a new site called Shopping with Blessed Zelie.  Their mission is to support small Catholic businesses and shop-owners and I am so lucky to be able to share Big White Farmhouse through them.  Each week, a new business will take over the blog to share about what they sell and do.  Big White Farmhouse’s turn will be sometime in July!  

running less as I taper in preparation for the half.  Just one more week until the race!  I am feeling all the emotions (which sort-of feel like preparing for childbirth): excitement, fear of the unknown, pride for what I’ve accomplished…so ready to knock this goal from my life list!

May 5, 2015

{a year of challenges} May is for Cooking at Home

It’s a new month and time for a new challenge!


For May, I am challenging myself to cooking at home.  April was a crazy month with lots of commitments, appointments and illness.  Needless to say, I’ve been waving the white flag while dialing the closest pizza delivery place. A LOT.  Our budget (and my waistline) are hurting because of it, so it’s time to hop back on the meal planning wagon and start again.  With the exception of my half marathon weekend, since we’ll be out of town, the plan is to cook every meal (and snack and drink…no coffees!) at home.  A month of experimenting in the kitchen, trying new things and eating hearty, healthy meals again.   


Join me!
Set a goal for May, simple or ambitious.  Here are ten ideas to get you started:


+ Limit the amount of processed food that you bring into the home.
+ Make a few recipes from cookbooks you own.
+ Cook a dish using a vegetable you haven’t tried.
+ Make one family favorite meal.
+ Shop at the local farmer’s market.
+ Incorporate a few slow cooker recipes into your weekly menu.
+ Make a homemade version of something you would normally purchase.
+ Bake a dessert you have never tried before.
+ Include the children while in the kitchen: teach them a recipe, let them help, etc.
+ Knock out two recipes from your Pinterest boards.

Are you in?
Comment below with your cooking at home goal.  I’d love to cheer you on! 

May 4, 2015

{thrive goals} April Review // May Goals



April Goals

1. Order M’s standardized testing.
Done.  I ordered from Seton and it was very straight-forward.  We’ll be testing (hopefully!) this week. 

2. Sell unneeded school books and clothes on ebay.

This one is half complete.  I listed most of the school books for sale, but still need to tackle the box of clothes.  At this point, I’m debating whether it’s worth the effort or if I should just donate instead.


3. Drop off boxes to our local donation center.
Done!  Feels so good to get those boxes out of the back of the van!


4. Switch out the kids’ cold weather clothing and put in the warm.
Done.  This is one of my least favorite seasonal tasks.  I decided to tackle it randomly one day when I was putting away the kids’ laundry; I just started throwing the winter things in a big pile on the floor!  I went through and got rid of anything that was really stained or had holes and the rest got folded and put in a bin.  So glad that project is completed!  



5. Work on a new daily routine for spring and summer.
This is still a work in progress, but we’ve made a good start.  New expectations for daily chores, less screen time and an emphasis on playing and exercise.  We only have a few more weeks of school left, so I’ll be shifting to a more consistent summer schedule soon.  

—————————————-

May Goals


1. Have M take his standardized testing and mail back to Seton.
2. Finish my training strong in preparation for my half marathon mid-month.
3. Support my blogger friends in a more active way.
4. Start up Big White Farmhouse’s newsletter again.
5. Buy a new welcome mat.


What goals do you have for May?  

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