The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

{around here} 04/52: Week of 1.26.15



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 the kids play.  M got a marble from his CCD teacher this week and the amount of time all of the kids have played with that one marble blows my mind.  Why do we have all of these toys again?

doing Sophie’s hair exactly how she requests.  She always wants three, not two but THREE, hair ties, so I’ve been fixing a lovely ‘do of pig tails connected into a pony.  She loves it.  

reading all about dyslexia in an attempt to help my second oldest.  It’s not official, but as the school year progresses, I’m more and more convinced.  I’ve mostly scrapped our original curriculum and am starting back at square one.  (We are still doing the letter of the week for now.)  After the recommendations of a few homeschooling moms, I just ordered All about Reading and I’m hopeful it will help.    

trying to get out of my cereal rut and make hearty breakfasts, much like this time last year.  This week, I made homemade granola, a Denver baked omelet and crepes.


purchasing new product for Big White Farmhouse.  I’m excited!

letting go of counting calories.  It has become a frustrating behavior that can border on obsessive and life is just so much bigger than that.  Instead, I’m focusing on more: more water, more veggies, more good stuff.  And a small sweet treat is okay sometimes too.  


homeschool notes:

  • It was L week in Kindergarten.  We painted lions.
  • The big boys found our old Monopoly game and have caught on quickly.  I love the extra math practice it gives both of them…and it’s fun!

{a year of challenges} January is for Learning: A Review



The end of the January is for Learning Challenge is here!  How did you do?  

 As far as my personal challenge goes, I am really pleased with the outcome.  Sometimes as a mother to little ones, I feel like my brain is slowly turning to mush.  This month helped me see that it doesn’t have to be that way. Below is a record of all the things I read, listened to and explored:  

BOOKS.
1. The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It
2. Joy to the World: How Christ’s Coming Changed Everything (and Still Does)
3. Orphan Train
PODCASTS.
1. Brilliant Business Mom Podcast Episode 062: Blogging, Best-Sellers & The Good Life with Ruth Soukup
2. Elise Gets Crafty Episode 39: Maintaining a Creative Habit
3. Read-Aloud Revival Episode 12: The Reading Promise: My Father and the Books We Shared
4. Fountains of Carrots Episode 6: Planned Chaos with Kelly Mantoan
5. Not technically a Podcast, but just as informative: 5 Steps to a Better Facebook Page with Holly Homer
6. Brilliant Business Moms Episode 027: On Growing an Authentic Blog with Anne Bogel of Modern Mrs. Darcy

TED TALKS. (Summaries come from the TED talk website)
1. Brene Brown: The Power of Vulnerability
Brene Brown studies human connection – our ability to empathize, belong, love.  In a poignant, funny talk, she shares a deep insight from her research, one that sent her on a personal quest to know herself as well as to understand humanity.  

2. David Goldstein: The Battle Between your Present and Future Self
Every day, we make decisions that have good or bad consequences for our future selves.  (Can I skip flossing just this one time?)  Danial Goldstein makes tools that help us imagine ourselves over time, so that we make smart choices for Future Us.

3. Christopher McDougall: Are We Born to Run?
Christopher McDougall explores the mysteries of the human desire to run.  How did running help early humans survive – and what urges from our ancient ancestors spur us on today?  McDougall tells the story of the marathoner with a gold, the unlikely ultra-runner, and the hidden tribe in Mexico that runs to live.  

4. Mac Barnett: Why a Good Book is a Secret Door
Childhood is surreal.  Why shouldn’t children’s books be?  In this whimsical talk, award-winning author Mac Barnett speaks about writing that escapes the page, art as a doorway to wonder – and what real kids say to a fictional whale.

5. Susan Cain: The Power of Introverts  
In a culture where being social and outgoing are prized above all else, it can be difficult, even shameful, to be an introvert.  But, as Susan Cain argues in this passionate talk, introverts brings extraordinary talents and abilities to the world, and should be encouraged and celebrated.

6. Joy Sun: Should You Donate Differently?
Technology allows us to give cash directly to the poorest people on the planet.  Should we do it?  In this thought-provoking talk, veteran aid work Joy Sun explores two ways to help the poor.

7. Ken Robinson: How Schools Kill Creativity 
Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining and profoundly moving case for creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity.

8. Jamie Oliver: Teach Every Child about Food 
Sharing powerful stories from his anti-obesity project in Huntington, West Virginia –and a shocking image of the sugar we eat.  TED Prize winner Jamie Oliver makes the case for an all-out assault on our ignorance of food.

9. Andie Mitchell: On Weight Loss
Andie Mitchell talks about her struggles with food, her background and her blog. She explores a topic that she claims took many years of reflection to figure out: the secret to lasting weight loss.

 10. Rosie King: How Autism Freed Me to be Myself
“People are so afraid of variety that they try to fit everything into a tiny little box with a specific label,” says 16-year-old Rosie King, who is bold, brash and autistic.  She wants to know: Why is everyone so worried about being normal?  She sounds a clarion call for every kid, parent, teacher and person to celebrate uniqueness.  It’s a soaring testament to the potential of human diversity.

NEW BLOGS.
1. And Then We Saved: Saving where we can, so we can spend where we want
2. The Catholic Table (This post is great!)
3. by Regina: for the Bloggers and Entrepreneurs

Stay tuned for the new February challenge next week!

{book report} My Latest Reads // January

When I was a little girl, I was a voracious reader.  My nose was always in a book and I remember thinking that it would be so cool if I could read every book in the children’s section of the library.  (Clearly, this was the beginning of my love for goals, albeit a bit unattainable!)  


The January is for Learning Challenge has awakened that love for books again.  At the beginning, I had to “force” myself to sit down and read.  I had so many distractions: my phone, the computer, TV…they all seemed easier and more attractive.  But I fought through and the habit has remained.  I’m excited to see how many books I can get through in 2015.


Here are the four I read in January:    

The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber
I first heard about this book from Anna…I think she posted on Instagram?  She was a fan and I liked it a lot too.  The main advice is that you should work ON your business, not just IN it.  He makes the case that you cannot build a successful business around something you are skilled at.  If you only want to be a worker, you should continue working for someone else!  In order to be successful on your own, you need the bigger picture component as well.  Gerber lays out a clear road map for creating systems within your company and I will definitely be incorporating a few of the ideas into Big White Farmhouse soon.

Owls in the Family by Farley Mowat
This was an assigned family read aloud for M’s school and we all enjoyed it!  It is about a boy who adopts two owls and each chapter describes an adventure.  The writing is funny, the chapters are just long enough for the reader (you won’t go hoarse trying to finish!) and my boys wanted an owl for our house by the end.  

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
How do I even begin to describe this book?  It is about the friendship of two women, one a teenager and the other elderly, who have lived difficult lives.  I was sucked in from the first few pages, my heart breaking as their stories of the past unfolded.  I hesitate to call it “good” because how can foster care and child neglect be good?  It’s definitely a moving story and I recommend it.  

Joy to the World by Scott Hahn
I received this book from Blogging for Books for review and could not wait to read it!  Scott Hahn can always be counted on to explain Catholic theology in a simple, understandable way and Joy to the World was no exception.  In this book, he encourages the readers to look closely at the different parts of the Christmas story (the town of Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph, the angels, etc.) and then weaves the story back together.  It was like looking at Christmas with brand new eyes!  This book would be a wonderful choice for Advent next year.


What books have you been reading?  Share in the comments!  I’m always looking for new recommendations!

{Related: My Booklist} 

{cookie project} No.002: Hot Cocoa Cookies

The Cookie Project is a year-long experiment to combine my love for baking and trying new things.

Yesterday was our second “official” Sunday family dinner. Instead of just throwing something onto plates and calling it good, Mark and I decided that we really wanted to embrace Sundays and make them special.  It’s been so fun to create a menu together, work beside each other in the kitchen and create a memory that I hope will stick with my kids forever.  

If you know my husband, you already know that he is an amazing cook.  Sundays have become his day to shine.  I help with the menu and I’m good at following his directions, but I give the credit to him.  But dessert?  That’s all me.

This week I thought I would try a cookie recipe that reminded me of my four-year-old, J.  Almost every morning, after watching me brew my morning coffee, he asks if I could make him a cup of hot cocoa.  I love sitting with him as he tells me random details about super heroes or the latest episode of Wild Kratts.  He chugs his cocoa and is done in minutes, but I treasure that time so much.  

Hot Cocoa Cookies were the perfect dessert for Sunday dinner.    

THE RECIPE
The recipe I used is from Holly at Life in the Lofthouse.  While there is a little bit of work involved, these cookies are definitely worth it.  So delicious with a glass of cold milk or a cup of coffee.  You can find the recipe here. 

{The Cookie Project Archives: No.001}

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