The Big White Farmhouse

First Aid Organization

We live about 25 minutes away from the closest hospital and it recently dawned on me that I probably should keep some basic first aid supplies at home, just in case.  I found this helpful printable on Simple Family Preparedness and have been adding a few things to my shopping cart each week.  I still have quite a ways to go, but something is better than nothing, right?  I also picked up this first aid manual (affiliate link) and need to start learning!  Maybe that can be a summer project…

Decluttering, Week Two

I’m starting Week Two of #28things7days with not one item, but one type of item.  I have so many of those baby hangers and no more tiny clothes to hang on them!  I’m thinking I’ll offer them on Trash Nothing.

Today’s Gardening Project

My potatoes are growing faster than I can hill them!  Really enjoying this new method of growing so far.

Learning a New Skill

Multitasking at its best!  I folded laundry while watching a free canning seminar from Homesteading Family.  The training ultimately led up to her Masterclass (which I can’t afford right now) but it was a great starting point and I’m anxious to learn more.

My Girl, Lucy

This dog loves to bathe in the sun!  She’s perfectly content to relax on the stoop and supervise us while we work with the chickens.

#28things7days Week One Complete!

Today I tackled our kitchen junk drawer, one of those places where we throw random things we don’t know what to do with…and there they stay untouched, ha!  This is probably my most random collection so far.  My items for Day Seven:

• two arm bands that came with the kids’ MP3 players
• a star punch
• a really old typing program that doesn’t work with our computer
• a broken door handle(??)
• a tiny metal scoop
• a charger for a sleep machine we no longer have
• a ceramic box that once held a tiny rosary

An Easy Dinner with Homemade Garlic Knots

Dinner tonight was super easy: pasta with a quick meat sauce, salad and homemade garlic knots using this recipe from Sugar Spun Run.  I skipped the garlic butter topping (those of us with dairy sensitivities needed a break!) but still delicious.

Day 6 was such a sunny, beautiful day before a severe thunderstorm hit by late afternoon!

Out in the Garden

I was out in the garden first thing to make sure I got my squash seeds in before the rain.  Everything is coming along, but I’m especially happy to see all of the flowers on our strawberries!  Here’s hoping we get a nice harvest this year.

Back to Berry

After a long hiatus, I’m returning to The Art of Loading Brush by Wendell Berry (affiliate link).  I got hung up on his third essay, which explores how poets throughout history have described/interacted with Nature, but challenged myself to push through and…I’m starting to understand where he’s going now!  I think that’s a good lesson for me: I originally put this book aside because it was “hard” but I’ve ultimately learned more because I kept going.

Six More Items for the Declutter Challenge

I found even more things in my closet: two more belts (how in the world did I acquire so many?!), a running shirt, a peplum top that just does not look right on my figure, and – this is big – the last remaining pair of “super skinny jeans” I wore in my early 20s.  Whether I ever wear that size again or not (probably not), off they go!  I also decided to pass on a cookbook I bought last year.  The recipes are awesome, but not very well suited for a big family like mine.

A Sweet Afternoon Treat

What does one do when a storm is raging outside?  Bake, of course!  I whipped up a simple blueberry snack cake (this recipe from Barefeet in the Kitchen) for an afternoon treat for the kids.  I ended up using frozen blueberries and after rinsing and patting dry, they worked great.  Fair warning: there is quite a bit of butter and sugar!

Day five.  It was gloomy, rainy day, so we postponed all of our outdoor tasks (except for keeping chickens fed and happy, of course!) for later in the week.  I’m actually grateful for the rain: I often tell the kids that God is taking a turn watering my garden, ha.  One less chore on my list.

Gloomy Days = Extra Time to Plan

Some of my to-do list for the week:
+ Purchase the last few things we need for processing our broilers
+ Make rice a day ahead for a fried rice and egg rolls dinner
+ Buy a suit for M’s Confirmation
+ Catch up on The Lifegiving Home (affiliate link) – I need to read the chapters for April and May!
+ Research how to make homemade laundry detergent

Progress in Closet Organization

Since I was inside most of the day, I started working on organizing my closet.  This seems to be a constant process and I’m not sure why!  Every time I decide to tackle it, there always seems to be more that I can declutter.  (I easily found five things for the challenge below.)  Anyway, today I worked with my fall/winter sweaters and neatly stacked them inside these bins, along with a lavender sachet from Inges (affiliate link) to hopefully keep any bugs away.  I love the extra space and how neat and tidy it looks now!

#28things7days Challenge, Day Five

Day five proved to be super easy: one belt, one pair of black pants that just don’t fit right and three tops that I never wear.  I’ll sell what I can and send the rest to the thrift store.