The Big White Farmhouse | intentional living, little by little

January 18, 2012

{etsy finds} Beautiful (and Delicious!) Cookies from Sugar & Flour

Today’s cool etsy find are these amazing cookies made by Karen at Sugar & Flour. Aren’t these cookies so neat? They are made from a vanilla/almond sugar cookie dough and frosted with vanilla/almond royal icing. Baked fresh to order!

I have ordered from her twice before and have been so pleased both times. And the cookies….oh yum! You must try them for yourself! Her cookies are perfect for birthdays, baby showers or just because! Wouldn’t the apple cookies be so cute individually wrapped as teacher gifts? You can find her store here.

January 17, 2012

{recording life} My Word for 2012: Dream

{via}

Do you choose a word to guide your year? After some prayer and a lot of thought, I’ve decided on DREAM. For awhile, I have been “in the trenches” so to speak when it comes to motherhood. With multiple little ones seeking my attention for feeding, playing, diaper changes, baths, you name it…well, I really didn’t have the time to think of anything else.

The past six months or so have been different. I feel like I’ve hit my stride when it comes to balancing motherhood and my home. Sure, some days are more difficult than others, but for the first time in a long time, I feel like I can glance out to the future…and dream.

I have dreams for making a difference in this big world. I have dreams for my little family. I have dreams of moving to a new town into a home that will be ours forever. This year, I want to dream big dreams…allow myself to put it all out there and see what God has in store for me. I’m excited to see where He leads.

What is your word for 2012?

January 16, 2012

{chit chat} Miscellany Monday: A List

1. My geriatric tendencies are getting worse. If being sound asleep by 10:00 wasn’t bad enough, I now enjoy the fascinating pastime of puzzle making. 1000 pieces are no match for me!

2. M’s new line: “Hey Mamma, when I grow up, I’m gonna marry you.” Sweet boy knows how to wrap his Mamma right around his finger, the little stinker.

3. Pigs in a Blanket is on the menu for lunch today. I know, culinary greatness at its best. (Bonus tip: I’m not a fan of the term “wienies”, so I’m forever grateful to Trader Joe’s for their labeling as “Cocktail Pups”. )

4. The boys are just dying to play in the snow, but we’ve yet to see any real snow this year! Double bummer since we are in the middle of two weeks of winter “study” in school.

5. M and D got these awesome cars (they are called PlaSmart PlasmaCar) for Christmas and I think they have been the most used present so far.

6. I read Start Something That Matters in two days. I give it five stars and a bunch of exclamation points. My husband and I have had a couple of amazing conversations directly because of it..lots of “dreamstorming” going on over here!

January 13, 2012

{ramblings} What If…

Source: whispsofme.tumblr.com via icicle on Pinterest

What if… we did away with the anxiety-ridden expectations of what a good mother should be and lived our lives in the freedom that we’re doing the best we can?

What if… instead of saying no (largely because we’re inconvenienced or lazy), we said, “Why not?”

What if… we stopped obsessing about our “pre-pregnancy” weight and now embraced our new normal and the blessing(s) that got us this way?

What if… we fed our children the best we could afford, but didn’t stress about the occasional chocolate chip cookie or Happy Meal?

What if… we stopped worrying about what everyone else thought of us and instead focused on what we thought of us?

What if… we lived our lives with the joy of the front row instead of living in the third row?