The Big White Farmhouse | intentional living, little by little

February 2, 2022

No.619: Living Intentionally in February

January and its freezing, snowy weather really shook up most of our plans, but it also forced us to have some much needed rest. Here’s hoping February isn’t quite so brutal; we have some homestead chores that definitely need to be completed soon! First, a few highlights from last month: We celebrated Epiphany with our sixth annual dinner and a new book tradition. We ordered a bunch of things for the homestead and did lots and lots of planning. I also ordered most of the supplies needed to make my own kombucha. Lastly, I started deep cleaning/organizing the pantry, but didn’t get to the fridge and definitely not the deep freezer!

Eating Seasonally

citrus fruit
Brussels sprouts
kale
broccoli
winter squash

Celebrating the Liturgical Year

The month of February is dedicated to the Holy Family.

Feast of Presentation of the Lord/Candlemas (2)
Blaise (3)
Agatha (5)
Paul Miki and Companions (6)
Josephine Bakhita (8)
Our Lady of Lourdes (11)
Peter Damian (21)

Homesteading and Self-Sufficiency

Move Fred to his own area away from the ladies.
Try to measure the pigs for an approximate weight update.
Start brassicas under grow lights.
Grow another few batches of fodder for the chickens.
Test the garden soil and figure out needed amendments.

Homemaking

Start my first batch of kombucha.
Organize the garage.
Focus on fire safety: buy a few more extinguishers, fire blankets and change all of the batteries in the smoke detectors.
Continue decluttering and deep cleaning the kitchen.
Find at least 20 items to declutter and donate/sell.

Family Fun

Celebrate a big 40th birthday!
Celebrate some silly holidays:
- Feed the Birds Day (3)
- Thank a Mailman Day (4)
- Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day (5)
- National Pizza Day (9)
- Tell a Fairy Tale Day (26)

February 1, 2022

No.618: Ten Things I Loved in January & Other Highlights from the Month

This post contains affiliate links.

What a way to enter in the new year! Snow upon snow upon snow…

TEN THINGS I LOVED IN JANUARY

my Christmas Cactus still blooming into January
kombucha (my favorite flavor is passionfruit + tangerine)
a warm church on a bitterly cold winter day
the anticipation for the growing season ahead
how peaceful the world feels the morning after a snow storm
kids big enough to dress themselves in gear and help shovel the driveway
the Novena of Abandonment
seeing the sunset as I close up the chicken coop at night
big bowls of chili and homemade tortilla chips
new friendships

THREE LESSONS I LEARNED

Farm animals are incredibly resilient. // January has been so cold and I’ve been a complete worry wart over the warmth of my animals. Turns out they don’t need much! The hens have a coop full of fluffy pine shavings and the pigs all cuddle together, completely buried in straw. Despite the chill, they all seem happy and healthy!
I don’t miss Facebook. Like at all. // Late in December, I made the decision to permanently delete my Facebook account. I only logged in sporadically, but kept my account “just in case” and because I had special pictures saved. For whatever reason, I got a wild hair in December and decided to take the plunge, even though I had doubts just like with I did with Amazon Prime. (I mean…talk about a first world problem.) I was able to easily download all of my photos and they even gave me 30 days in case I changed my mind. (I didn’t.) In the weeks since, I have felt great. There is no temptation to “check in” and see what’s new. No watching dumpster fires of friends completely destroying each other due to different beliefs. No ads bombarding me with stuff. One more step toward a more intentional life right here in the real world. (P.S. I also haven’t been on Instagram in months and once I figure out how to save those photos, I’m making the jump there too.)
“Hearing trains” is actually tinnitus. // When I was a kid, I would occasionally complain of “hearing trains” in my ears. It’s so hard to describe without sounding crazy, but it’s continued off and on, even into adulthood. Anyway, I was listening to a personal testimony from a woman with some health issues and one of her symptoms included hearing trains. The doctor she was speaking with casually answered, “Ahh yes, that’s typical of tinnitus.” I was floored and so happy to hear that it’s an actual thing!

A SIDE HUSTLE/MORTGAGE REDUCTION UPDATE

After the success of my 30 day super mega declutter/resale challenge last year, I really wanted to incorporate the process more regularly. I have a goal of earning $5,000 through various side hustles in 2022, which will go toward our mortgage principal. Reselling our outgrown/unneeded items is one avenue I’m using to get to that goal.

+ I rebooted my old Kidizen account and cross-posted some of my children’s outgrown clothing there. I watched this video from Ginger Marvin on Youtube that was so helpful. It’s been years since I’ve been on the app and since I’ve been gone, they’ve also added a “Mama” section, so I tried a few adult pieces as well. Only two sales so far, but I’ll take it!

What I found and sold in January:

+ 2 ornaments
+ a sweatshirt, sweater, shirt and puffer vest from my closet
+ 4 books
+ a kneading blade from a broken bread machine
+ a pair of football cleats
+ a preschool math curriculum
+ 2 dresses, 3 shirts, a bathing suit and 3 pajamas from the kids’ unneeded/outgrown bins
+ a preschool backpack
+ a potty training seat
+ an Ikea pillow sham
+ a Flipbelt running belt and a running compression calf sleeve
+ a pair of snowboots
+ an XBox game
+ a set of mini spreaders

Number sold: 28
Total amount earned after fees: $227.57

January 31, 2022

No.617: What I Read in January 2022

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#1. GUESS WHO by Chris McGeorge // ★★☆☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)
I was really excited to start the new year with this locked room themed psychological thriller, but man. This might have been the most boring thriller I’ve ever read! I kept going just in case there was a huge twist at the end, but it was ridiculous all the way through.

#2. MEET ME AT THE MUSEUM by Anne Youngson // ★★★☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)
This book had 84, Charing Cross Road vibes: a lonely English woman and a widowed Danish professor begin a correspondence because of their mutual fascination with the Tollund Man. (BTW, I had no idea who the Tollund Man was and had to look him up.) The fictional story is told entirely in letters and it was good. Not sure how I felt about the end, but good.

#3. RECLAIMING OUR ROMAN CATHOLIC BIRTHRIGHT: THE GENIUS AND TIMELIENESS OF THE TRADITIONAL LATIN MASS by Peter Kwasniewski // ★★★★☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)
I’ve been chipping away at this book since last fall! Incredibly informative and thought-provoking. I learned so much.

#4. DAMNATION SPRING by Ash Davidson // ★★★☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)
This book is a quiet novel about a logging community in the 1970s. The issue explored throughout is between the Pacific Northwest loggers using toxic herbicides for brush removal and environmental activists concerned about the mass removal of old trees and the harmful impacts of those toxic chemicals. This book was really thought-provoking and I could place myself in both sets of shoes. Unfortunately, it took quite a few pages to really get to the meat of the book and I sometimes felt bogged down with the detailed logging descriptions. Still a solid three star read. I think it would make for interesting discussion in a book club setting. (And thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.)

#5. THE VIOLENT BEAR IT AWAY by Flannery O’Connor // ★★★☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)
This was my first Flannery O’Connor book and after I finished the last page, I said, “What in the world did I just read?!” Thankfully, the ladies at my book club helped to flesh out O’Connor’s writing style and the themes/symbols used throughout. I’m still not sure I loved it, but I definitely have a deeper appreciation for this book now.

#6. CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG by Ian Fleming // ★★★★☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)
Our school read aloud for January. We all enjoyed it. (P.S. We ordered the 1960s movie of the same name and spoiler! It’s nothing like the book. My kids were disappointed.)

#7. ALL MANNER OF THINGS by Susie Finkbeiner // ★★★☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)
I picked this Christian fiction novel up on a whim from Book Outlet sometime last year. It’s a story about a family during the Vietnam era and delicately deals with a whole host of issues, including war, PTSD, and even interracial relationships. Honestly, I found the writing to be a little hokey, but the ending…whew. I cried.

January 28, 2022

No.616: Homestead Diaries // January 2022

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I went into January assuming that I would have a month “off” from most homestead tasks. Turns out that if you’re not actively working on the farm, you’re still thinking about the farm, ha! Here’s what we accomplished around the homestead during the first few weeks of 2022:

+ Lots of ordering occurred this month! We will have 165 baby chicks (150 broilers and 15 hens) arriving in mid-March. I also ordered onion bunches, potato tubers, a few more seed packets for early spring crops and even preordered my tomato starts for May arrival. We also stocked up on hen feed and straw for the pigs. So happy to have all of that off of the to-do list, even though it was $$$.

+ I started planning what we’re going to plant and where. The new plan includes making at least two or three more in-ground beds and ramping up the amount we hope to yield. I would love to be able to grow enough to feed my family, have extra to put a little back and be able to supplement my animals, but that’s a huge goal.

+ After two growing seasons, I knew I needed to really get a good understanding of my soil. I ordered this soil test kit and need to brave the freezing temperatures (with snow on the ground!) to get my soil samples. Next month!

+ I watched a talk by Joel Salatin called “100s of Farm Animals and No Vet Bills” about homestead sanitation and how that helps healthy livestock. I was happy to see that we already implement many of his tips and tricks.

+ Our chickens are desperate for anything green (so much snow! so much mud!), so I tried growing fodder for the first time. I am following these instructions and my first batch should be ready next Monday. I have wheat seeds from True Leaf Market and I used their grow trays too. The process was a little fussy, but generally easy. I think it will be easier once I have more experience and confidence.

+ I dewormed the animals with an herbal formula recommended by Justin Rhodes. While we don’t have any active issues right now, I’d like to keep them on a maintenance schedule and January seemed like the right time to start. I love that I can use it with the chickens, the pigs and even our dog, Lucy!