The Big White Farmhouse

Due to a misunderstanding on my part, we learned today that we are actually still responsible for standardized testing.  I have strong feelings about standardized testing, especially for kids with learning disabilities like mine, but we’re just going to grit our teeth and do the best we can.

New Books!

When I saw that Better World Books was having a “Bargain Bin” sale around Mother’s Day, I just couldn’t help myself!  It felt a little like browsing the library stacks because these are completely random choices.  The books arrived today and I’m excited to try something brand new.  I bought (affiliate links ahead):

• Solomon’s Oak by Jo-Ann Mapson
• Mr. and Mrs. Doctor by Julie Iromuanya
• The Escape Room by Megan Goldin
• Ashes of Fiery Weather by Kathleen Donohoe

Little Laundry Wins

I’m a little embarrassed that so many of these daily posts have included my laundry, but here we are.  I’ve been in the market for a new drying rack and decided to try this A-frame version.  I LOVE it!  It’s huge, folds up when not in use and holds a ton of clothes.

Cute Snail Mail Cards

More snail mail delivered!  These are birthday cards from Happy Tines and they were packaged so cute.  She passed along a coupon code (THANKS10) that I can share with friends for 10% off.

Art that Makes Me Smile

My aunt sent me this adorable card last year and I knew I wanted to frame it for our schoolroom.  Makes me smile every time I pass by.

Garden Progress

I spent the morning soaking up that Vitamin D!  I watered and weeded the garden and hilled the potatoes again.  (I’m almost to ground level, so will finally be able to just let them go.)  We’ve had such a mild spring and the plants are growing, but soooo slowly.

Another Declutter Challenge Update

Today’s pile includes four empty boxes from my Fontanini nativity pieces, another broken ceramic jewelry box (how? why?) and a necklace I never wear.

After dinner, I was wild and crazy and jumped on the trampoline with my little kids!  They were so tickled to have me jump with them; I need to do this more often.  (Even if I pee my pants a little.)

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On Sunday, my parents came to visit us after Mass and I didn’t take a single picture!

Not sure if I’ve mentioned it before, but we used a lot of our tax return this year to invest in something we’ve always wanted to do: bulk meat directly from the farm!  (The upfront price is quite steep, so this was the only way we could financially afford it.)  Anyway, Mark picked up our order today and it was so exciting!  I had every intention of neatly organizing the deep freezer, but got overwhelmed by the sheer amount and we just started tossing them in!  Oh man…I know I’m going to regret that decision later on.  A project for another day. (This also crosses off 100 Little Things #12!)

A New Baby Cousin!

My cousin just had her second baby and I’m so sad that we live so far away!  So grateful for pictures in the meantime.  I sent out this super sweet card from Paper & Peonies (affiliate link) right away.

#28things7days, Week Two Day Five

I’m quickly realizing how random this decluttering challenge has become, ha!  Today’s grouping includes: a pair of soccer shin guards, a book, a building guide for shelving, a Bible case (I think? this must have been a hand-me-down) and some round plastic pieces from unknown origins.

A New Bar of Soap

In other exciting news, I chose a new bar of soap to use from my stash from Borden Acres (affiliate link)!  It’s the little things in life, right?  This time I went with Grapefruit & Orange, which has a really fresh scent.  Borden Acres has become my go-to source for soap (you can find lots of small soap businesses in this post) and I highly recommend them.  I always choose the 3/$20 or 5/$30 options and forgo the packaging for even more savings.  She ships super fast and has a great coupon code for returning customers too.

School’s out for summer!  The kids worked hard to finish up the last of their schoolwork and we are all ready for a nice, long break.  They’ll still read books and do crafts/science experiments/music on their own all summer long, so the learning really doesn’t stop, just Mum’s involvement in it, ha!

A Different Kind of Decluttering

Today I tackled a long overdue chore: shredding four containers worth of personal documents and junk mail.  I threw all the shred in the first bin I found (in hindsight, not my best idea) and tossed it all in the compost pile.

Homestead Project of the Day

I forgot to mention yesterday that the tree company came to cut down the two dead trees.  They cut one of the trees into big chunks and my two biggest boys worked for hours today hauling them up the hill and then cutting them up into firewood.  They worked so hard!  Later, when they were blistered and sore, my daughter went out with the wheelbarrow to stack the pieces on the woodpile.  It definitely takes a family to run a homestead!

Smell Ya Later, School Books!

I went around the house and collected school books; they seemed to be sprinkled everywhere!  Hoping to get everything organized and put away in the next few days so I don’t have to think about anything school-related for awhile.

A Workhorse Laundry Basket

Isn’t it funny how laundry works?  You take one day off and it seems to take three to catch back up!  I’ve had this laundry basket since I went away to college almost 18 years ago (yikes, I’m old) and it’s still going strong.

Working on my 2021 Goals

One of my 2021 goals is to take a deep dive into the Constitution, so I was so excited to find a free course online. I’ve been slowly making my way through the course and have already learned so much!  After dinner, I listened to the second to last lecture. The course continues into Constitution 201 and I definitely want to complete that one too.