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The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

August 22, 2022

No.684: Homemaking Notes on a Monday // Vol.34

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission of any sale made at no extra cost to you.

Well, I lost my “blog every weekday in August” streak last week.  Too much going on and not enough energy to write anything coherent.  We start our school year this Wednesday, but hopefully I’ll be able to publish a few more posts before month’s end.  I think I can, I think I can…

The weather outside is //

As I look outside my window // We processed our last batch of meat chickens last weekend and like everything we do around here, we ran into some roadblocks.  On day one, we somehow misplaced a tiny piece of the plucker, making the machine inoperable!  As the boys and I imagined (in horror) the idea of hand plucking over 70 birds, my husband finagled a way to fix it with random things we had on hand.  The day was saved!  Thankfully, day two went much more smoothly.

As I look around the house // My house is a disaster.  Definitely need to do a thorough tidy before school starts.

Reflecting // on 2022 so far.  This year has been good.  So busy, so full.  Yet as the growing season winds down, I can feel myself craving some more margin in my life.  I think about the farm all the time and every single day – how to keep the animals healthy, how to improve production, how to streamline chores, how to expand further.  I think I need a break from carrying that daily load.  I’m already brainstorming some goals for September.

On this week’s to-do list //
– scrub out and pack away all of the chicken feeders/waterers
– install math programs onto the computer
– empty out the cabinet to be moved to the dining room (I’m moving things around again!)
– finalize week one lesson plans
– catch up on laundry
– start school!

Low buy month update // Week 3!

  • This was not a great week for saving.  We had a couple of Aldi trips and some purchases for the farm/processing.  It is also our tradition to eat out after broiler processing (we joke that we’re organic farmers, but we still like our local pizza/Chickfila!) so that filled two meals.
  • We had one day of zero spending.
  • Side hustle update: I had no time to focus on decluttering/reselling so listed 0 items.  I feel like the more I list, the more I sell (maybe it’s an algorithm thing?) so it doesn’t surprise me that I only sold two items.  Total money earned: $7.30

Currently reading // 

  • Fiction: Mother Daughter Traitor Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal
  • Nonfiction: Folks, This Ain’t Normal: A Farmer’s Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People, and a Better World by Joel Salatin
  • Religious: Lay Saints: Models of Family Life by Joan Carroll Cruz

On the menu this week // Can I be honest and say I have no idea what we’re going to eat this week?  As we get back into the school routine, I’m going to need dinner to be simple, simple, simple.

August 17, 2022

No.683: Two Superhero Cross-Stitch Pillows & a Princess Pillow Too

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission of any sale made at no extra cost to you.

One last (partial) finish for the summer break challenge before we head back to school.  While I had hoped to complete all six pillows, I’m satisfied that I finished three.  (My biggest three boys will have to wait just a little bit longer, ha!)  For the boys’ cross-stitching, I used a 28ct evenweave fabric and it was just okay.  Very thick and stiff; linen is much easier to handle.  The pillows aren’t perfect but thankfully, the kids don’t seem to mind.

DETAILS

+ Patterns: Avengers, Storybook Princesses, and a design created by a big brother
+ Cross-Stitch Fabric: 28ct Evenweave in white for the boys, a white linen from my stash for the princesses
+ Pillow forms: 12″x16″ Basic Insert
+ Tutorial for finishing the pillows: Envelope Method tutorial from Sew Crafty Me
+ Skeins of thread and fabrics: from my stash
TOTAL FOR ALL THREE PROJECTS: $36.47

August 16, 2022

No.682: Reading Goals for the Rest of 2022

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission of any sale made at no extra cost to you.

I recently watched a video from a “Booktuber” who shared her reading goals for the rest of 2022.  I was inspired!  I’m typically a mood reader, so pre-planning is a little outside of my comfort zone.  We’ll see how this goes.  Here are my five goals for the next 4.5ish months of the year:

+ Read four books for the Alphabet Fiction Challenge. (Q, R, S, T)

I’m on a roll with this challenge and would like to get as close to the end as possible.  Four possible choices:

  • ✔ The Quintland Sisters by Shelley Wood (finished earlier this month!)
  • ✔ The Reckoning of Gossamer Pond by Jaime Jo Wright (finished last weekend!)
  • The Scribe of Siena by Melodie Winawer
  • This Tender Land by William Kent Kreuger
+ Read a book from last year’s Mother Culture basket.

I’d like to read Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson.  This would also satisfy “I” for the Alphabet Author Challenge.

+ Read three books for the 20th Century in Books Challenge.

I’ve been working on this challenge since 2019 and am almost to the halfway point.  Oops!  I really need to prioritize this in 2023.  Here are three possible choices:

  • 1984 by George Orwell (from 1949)
  • The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom (from 1971)
  • In Cold Blood by Truman Capote (from 1965)
+ Read three religious books.

Still plugging away on the Daily Spiritual Reading Challenge.  I read these at a slower pace, but still hope to get three finished by December 31st.  Three possible choices:

  • Lay Saints: Models of Family Life by Joan Carroll Cruz
  • Bad Shepherds by Rod Bennett
  • Abandonment to Divine Providence by Jean-Pierre de Caussade
+ Read two WILLA Award Winners.

And finally, my newest reading challenge!  I’d like to read these two books:

  • The Flicker of Old Dreams by Susan Henderson
  • Zetty by Debra Whiting Alexander

Whew!  13 books with room for a few wildcard picks in between.  I’ll keep you posted.

August 15, 2022

No.681: Homemaking Notes on a Monday // Vol.33

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission of any sale made at no extra cost to you.

The weather outside is //

Look at that weather forecast!  Highs in the 70s in August is pretty unheard of around here.

As I look outside my window // This is our last full week of summer break and I’m torn between being completely lazy and going 100-miles-an-hour tackling farm projects.  I’m going to attempt to balance both goals by working hard in the morning and then relaxing all afternoon.  I really need to weed the garden and finish up one of the permanent pig shelters.  We’ll see how this goes.

As I look around the house // I’ve been searching the house for things to donate/sell and I’m happy to report that I’m having a little trouble!  Decluttering regularly (and then not bringing in tons of new stuff) has really helped keep the house at a comfortable level.  We’re nowhere near minimalists, but I think we’re getting closer to the Goldilocks feeling of “just right.”

Recovering // from the shock of our latest electricity bill.  Between this month and last, we haven’t changed our routine at all, but the “rate adjustment” increased our bill by almost $100!  To add salt in the wound, we were also told that another rate adjustment (the third since May) will be implemented next month.

On this week’s to-do list //
– celebrate the Feast of the Assumption
– prep the schoolroom for the new year
– respond to blog comments (I apologize for the delay!)
– look into PO Boxes
– shred junk mail
– organize my master closet
– prepwork for Broilers 2.0 processing

Low buy month update // Week 2!

  • After successfully getting Fiona onto the trailer and off to the processer, we bought lunch from Chickfila.  Eating out is never cheap for our family, but this felt like a worthy time to celebrate.
  • We had three days of zero spending.
  • Side hustle update: I listed six items on ebay/Poshmark and made nine sales!  We also sold some chicken and eggs to a friend.  Total money earned: $98.31

Currently reading // 

  • Fiction: Mother Daughter Traitor Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal
  • Nonfiction: Indestructible: The Unforgettable Memoir of a Marine Hero at the Battle of Iwo Jima by Jack H. Lucas
  • Religious: Lay Saints: Models of Family Life by Joan Carroll Cruz

On the menu this week //

Monday: sheet pan mini meatloaves with potatoes and green beans
Tuesday: bialy pizzas
Wednesday: breakfast for dinner – maybe this egg casserole?
Thursday: skillet chicken nachos
Friday: shrimp scampi

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