The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

{christmas} I’m Dreaming of a Handmade Christmas

It’s Christmas planning time around here.  I know, I know….right now, you’re either thinking, “Wow, she’s crazy!  That’s months away!  Can’t we just enjoy fall?” or “Hmm, she’s so smart.  I should start my list too.”  HAH, just kidding on the last one. 

Fall is such a busy time for our family with birthdays and anniversaries, so planning this time of year just flows naturally for me.  I’d like to share a little of my Christmas “process” with you…

First of all, I don’t think it needs to be said that I love etsy.  There are so many wonderful things out there and I am constantly bookmarking items for Christmas.  That being said, if you are interested in a personalized or custom item, you really can’t wait until December to order it.

My first tip: If you want to order something custom made on etsy, order now!  

This was my first Christmas purchase of the year: Crayon Wallets!  

   
I knew I wanted something special for the boys that I could keep in my purse when they needed to be quiet (church, restaurants, waiting rooms, etc.)  These crayon wallets were perfect!  I ordered mine from a new shop called Delva B. Tree.  I inquired about a custom wallet and Stacy was so friendly and helpful.  She has a lot of adorable boy fabrics to choose from too!  I highly recommend her!

Stay tuned for many more Christmas ideas…here’s to a stress-free holiday season!

     

{in the kitchen} Enjoy the Last Days of Summer with Caprese Sandwiches & Salads

I do believe I was living under a rock until my dear cousin (and baby J’s godmother) introduced me to a culinary wonder: Caprese Sandwiches!  Incredibly easy to make and they look gorgeous when entertaining.

So in honor of the last few days of summer, here are a few variations that I just love!  I’ll be keeping these in mind for my next get together! 

{family} A Field Trip to the Apple Orchard

A perfect day for picking apples and being with family.  We’ve gone to this orchard every year on Grandparent’s Day/Opening NFL Weekend since M was a baby.  And I must say, it was surreal this time to watch my two oldest.  Giggling together with some conversation only brothers can understand.  Walking like “big boys”, needing no helping hands.  Playing “tag, you’re it” and races across the big, open field. 

I love being their mamma. 

And baby J’s too of course!  He wore the obligatory Cowboys jersey in honor of his Daddy’s favorite team.  Our third sweet baby boy to do so!  He’s been teething, so he wasn’t very interested in all the apple excitement and preferred to snuggle up to either his Meme or Poppa instead.

We all had so much fun.  Now to find a yummy recipe for apple pie…. 

{learning} How to Make an Apple Pie & See the World

Today marks the end of our first two week unit!  To catch up all of you new readers, we decided to do PreK at home this year using Five in a Row.  I chose it primarily because it felt like a gentle beginning to school.  I can include lots of extras or we can simply snuggle together on the couch and talk.  

I decided to focus this year on an “Around the World” theme since M is such a fan of different countries.  I chose stories from the first two volumes that fit with the theme and just went from there.  I have spread each book/country into two week units, so we can fully enjoy each place.  And How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World seemed like the perfect place to begin!

Here are some of the details about what we did and learned.  I apologize ahead of time for the horrible pictures…the boys wake me up each morning around 6:30 and hurry through breakfast, so we can “do school!”  So I hope that explains the lack of natural lighting and pajamas!  🙂

(Also, if you are a fellow “FIAR”-er, please check my Pinterest for tons of ideas!)

Our “Art Gallery”
Our two big projects were a “life-size” apple tree and re-creating the lion from Ten Apples Up on Top!  The boys love to paint so they were super excited about both activities.  The lion head was all M’s idea, right down to the pipecleaner curls.  He’s so creative – I learn so much from him! 

A peek into our lapbook…

The books we read:

I was afraid two weeks of apples might be too much, but we actually enjoyed all two weeks’ worth of activities!  We made apple prints, had a taste test with 4 different types of locally grown apples, made homemade applesauce and apple cake, created a lapbook, and even made our own playdough (scented with cinnamon and spices, so it smelled like apple pie!)  

Our field trip for this book will be our annual Grandparent’s Day/Opening NFL Weekend apple picking trip with my parents.  We’ve been going every year since M was a baby.  The boys are so excited and I am too!  We still need to make an apple pie!   


 

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