The Big White Farmhouse | intentional living, little by little

November 22, 2021

No.587: Homemaking Notes on a Monday // Vol.17

This post contains affiliate links.

The weather outside is //

As I look outside my window // It’s starting to get chilly out there, especially with the wind! We still have a few homestead projects to finish, but it’s getting harder to get excited about them. We’re just going to have to pile on the layers and get ‘er done. I was just telling my husband that once we get to January, I’m going to collapse by the fire and not move for an entire month! I am so proud of all we’ve accomplished in 2021, but whew! It’s hard work.

As I look around the house // My 30 day super mega declutter/reselling challenge is officially over, but I’ve still got my eyes peeled for more things to go.

So excited about // the new 2022 planner I just purchased! I have loved using The Saintmaker the past few months, but I’ve ultimately decided that the daily pages are really unnecessary at this point in my life. I was looking for new options when I found The Home Planner from Passionate Penny Pincher and it is perfect! I love all of the checklists, there’s enough space in the daily boxes and it even has a section for budgeting. I can’t wait to start using it in January! (P.S. I have a referral link so you can get $5 off your purchase if you’re in the market for a planner too!)

On this week’s to-do list //

– order chocolate coins for the Feast of Saint Nicholas
– bake a blueberry pie
– deep clean the kitchen, top to bottom!
– start reflecting on 2021 and brainstorm new goals for 2022

Currently reading //

Fiction: A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro and Damnation Spring by Ash Davidson
Nonfiction: Communism and the Conscience of the West by Fulton J. Sheen and The Tightwad Gazette II: Promoting Thrift as a Viable Alternative Lifestyle by Amy Dacyczyn
Religious: Reclaiming our Roman Catholic Birthright by Peter Kwasniewski (still chipping away at this one…)

On the menu this week //
Monday: enchiladas
Tuesday: shepherd’s pie baked potatoes
Wednesday: breakfast for dinner
Thursday: Thanksgiving!
Friday: Our 16th Anniversary!

November 19, 2021

No.586: Little Bits and Bobs // 01

A new series about little thoughts and things to share. I hope you’ll share your thoughts and latest finds with me too!

+ We found this beautiful spider web on the garden fence a few weeks ago. More and more, we’re turning into Charlotte’s Web around here!

+ I read The Gift of Fear (affiliate link) a few months ago and I still think about it often. One of the biggest takeaways from that book is the idea that fear is the indicator that something is potentially wrong. After acknowledging that fear, it’s my choice to how I’ll proceed: will I allow these feelings to progress to terror/anxiety/despair or will I act? I have found this to be really empowering! This way of thinking has helped me through a handful of recent stressors with things like health or financial worries. Instead of wallowing on the what ifs, I acknowledge the fear and then ask myself, “What can you do about it?” And then I move forward: I take care of myself and eat better. I stock up on supplements. I intentionally buy a few extra things each week to stock our pantry. I actively look for ways to reduce our spending and live more frugally. I earn a few extra dollars by selling our unneeded items. Each little action reduces the fear and then I can leave the rest to God.

+ I recently purchased a handful of new-to-me secondhand dresses and am looking so put together, ha! I had started a blog post all about it, but it felt silly with all of the hard things going on right now, so I shelved it. Needless to say, this tomboy has made big strides in the feminine department this year! If you ever stop by the Big White Farmhouse, I’ll probably be in a dress or working outside in my Carhartt overalls.

+ I just learned that crystallized ginger is great for upset stomachs and nausea and I’m now a fan. Way better than chomping on chalky Tums! You just need the smallest bite, so the bag should last me a long time.

+ I loved this heartwarming story from WWII entitled “The Home Front Saves a Life.”

November 18, 2021

No.585: My 30 Day Super Mega Declutter & Reselling Challenge

This was my last decluttering hurrah for 2021 and I was ruthless! I started this month-long challenge on a whim on Tuesday, October 19, 2021 with two goals:
1. I would find four items each day to give away or sell.
2. I would list at least three items a day on sites like Poshmark, ebay and Facebook Marketplace.

I think I mentioned earlier that this round of decluttering was a bit of a “rage purge.” Our life has been feeling really heavy and I needed a distraction that I could control. Am I the only one who does this? When life is stressful and spiraling, I become laser focused on something and this time it was my stuff. Just like I mentioned back in January with this post, it’s funny how decluttering is such an ongoing process. I feel like we haven’t brought a lot into our home this year, but there still seemed to be significant amounts of things that could go out.

So the challenge: I stayed true to my goals and found/listed things Monday to Saturday. (I took Sundays off.) I liked this thirty day window because it was intense but not too long. I can do anything for 30 days! In the end, I listed 107 items and sold 41, which comes out to about 38% on the sales to listings ratio. Not too shabby! Here’s the breakdown:

+ a pair of boy’s sandals (in late October! crazy)
+ two pairs of boy’s shoes
+ 3 shirts
+ 2 winter coats and a puffer vest
+ a pair of children’s mittens
+ a pair of P’s outgrown thermal underwear
+ 3 pairs of P’s outgrown shorts (another surprise for late October)
+ a pair of snow boots
+ a pair of shoes I never wear
+ two sweaters and a dress that are now too big for me
+ a wrap/shawl
+ a vintage brass penguin
+ 11 books
+ a pair of educational flash cards
+ some math manipulatives
+ a Thomas the Train bag/playmat
+ a door knob set (the old set from when I replaced my bedroom knobs)
+ a pillow
+ an envelope punch board
+ two Christmas-y garlands (that haven’t been taken out of the box in years)
+ a pair of Christmas-y pajama pants
+ a magazine holder
+ charcoal filters (from a compost bin we no longer own)
+ 2 vintage dresses (I had saved them for BWF back in the day and never listed them)

APPROXIMATE TOTAL AMOUNT EARNED (AFTER FEES) IN 30 DAYS: $350.58

Highly recommend going through your winter gear and Christmas decorations for anything you don’t use or need. I think with rising inflation, there is a greater need for affordable secondhand goods and you gotta love a few extra dollars in your pocket!

November 16, 2021

No.584: Three Months of Intermittent Fasting // My Results and What I’ve Learned So Far

In the past few years, intermittent fasting seems to have become a health fad, but I really think it reflects more of our great-grandparents’ eating patterns. I’ve affectionately started calling it “The Farmer’s Way of Eating” because it really compliments the lifestyle. Imagine your great-great-grandfather: He wakes up at dawn, enjoys a cup of black coffee, then heads out for morning chores. He breaks his fast around 10am with a hearty brunch and then gets back to work. Maybe he eats a sandwich for lunch (if he’s hungry) and will later sit down to a good dinner with the family. And then he’s done eating for the day! No midnight snacks needed because he’s in bed early to get a jump start on tomorrow. When I thought of my ancestors, intermittent fasting didn’t seem much of a “fad” to me anymore.

I’ve mentioned a few of my lingering health issues off and on here on the blog: blood pressure stuff, my inability to curb my sugar impulses for long periods of time, sleeping issues, bloating, stress, some weight gain, etc. My overarching goal in trying this lifestyle was to see if I could reverse some of those issues. Weight gain was last on the list – if I lost weight, I’d be thrilled (obviously), but I’d be equally happy if I could get good sleep and have my blood pressure back in a healthy range.

I officially started on August 9, 2021 and just hit the three month mark last week. A few things I’ve learned so far:

DELAYED GRATIFICATION IS AN IMPORTANT LIFE SKILL.

There are different versions of IF, but I chose the 16:8 method because it seemed the most logical. (I begin eating at 10am and end at 6pm.) The first few days took some effort as I adjusted to this new routine. Like most people, if I was feeling a little hungry, whatever the time of day, I’d help myself to a little something. Even at night, I had gotten into the habit of cozying up in bed with a book and a “midnight” snack.

Those first few days, I had to give myself some tough self-talk as my head whined about being “hungry”: You have never truly been hungry a day in your life. You trained for and ran a half marathon. You birthed six children, one naturally! You can do hard things. Certainly, you can hold out just a little bit longer before breaking your fast. And surprise, surprise: I lived to tell the tale!

That delayed gratification lesson is so important for physical, mental and spiritual reasons.

MY RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD IS CHANGING FOR THE BETTER.

During the past 18+ months, I had adopted really bad eating habits. Intermittent fasting helped me focus on eating nutrient dense, full meals vs. grazing on whatever is easy all day. I actually sit down to eat now! Get ready for my duh moment: when you eat nutrient dense meals, you feel full longer and don’t feel the need to snack.

I’m eating well and nothing is off limits except the things I have sensitivities with, like dairy products. I’ve dramatically changed my sugar cravings and while I still have homemade cookies and treats here and there, I don’t feel like an addict anymore. I’m more in tune with my body and I’m learning the difference between real hunger and when I’m just bored/stressed/emotional. All steps in the right direction!

MY SLEEP HAS GREATLY IMPROVED.

Before IF, I would lay in bed forever with to-do lists and what-ifs and all the things running through my head. At one point, it was so bad that I remember pleading to God to please just turn off my brain for a little while so I could get some sleep. Post IF, I’ve done a complete 180. When my head hits that pillow, I am OUT. I am finally getting deep, restorative sleep – maybe for the first time in my adult life?! – and it’s lifechanging.

MY HEALTH ISSUES ARE IMPROVING.

My blood pressure is decreasing in the right direction, my bloating is reducing and surprise of all surprises, I’ve lost almost 15 pounds!

The best part of intermittent fasting is that it’s not really a diet at all. It’s a lifestyle and one that I can maintain indefinitely without feeling like I’m missing out or restricting myself unnecessarily. I’m so grateful to have found something that works!