The Big White Farmhouse | intentional living, little by little

August 23, 2021

No.560: Last Week at the Farmhouse // The First Week of School

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After a busy weekend of chicken processing, I needed Monday to get my head in the game before heading back to school. Did I sit back and relax on my last day of summer break? Oh no no no. In true Ashley fashion, I decided that it was the perfect day to do a big bedroom switch for some of the boys! Deep cleaning, moving furniture, washing sheets and comforters and blankets…it was a huge project, but we managed to get most of it finished before the end of the day.

Our first week of school went more smoothly than I expected. The kids were hard workers and while they won’t admit it, I think they like having a bit more structure in their day. This week’s favorites with the little kids:

+ Learning about the new microscope and looking at all of the slides
+ Memorizing “The Goops”
+ Reading aloud Charlotte’s Web

My only complaint is how quickly I fell behind on my chores! I know that I’ll figure out a routine soon and everything will eventually get done.

On my nightstand: I just finished The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal and really enjoyed it! Now I’m on to Mary Coin by Marisa Silver and a memoir for Netgalley. I’m also slowing working my way through Saint Monica: Model of Christian Mothers by F.A. Forbes.

After a week of rainy weather, the sun finally came out on Saturday and we all hit the ground running with outdoor tasks: lawn mowing, chicken gear cleaning, firewood cutting and garage organizing. We took a chance picking our first watermelon and it was delicious! It probably could have grown on the vine for a little longer, but it was still really sweet. Is there anything better than cold watermelon on a hot day?

August 20, 2021

No.559: A List of August’s Frugal Accomplishments

+ I have used the same purse for the last six years. Just one purse! She has served me well, but I knew it was time to retire her when my four-year-old starting peeling off flaky pieces of faux leather during Mass. Because I’m the most boring person in the world, I found a similar replacement (same brand, same size) on Poshmark for less than $20!

+ Mark gave haircuts to three of the boys. I gave my daughter a big trim – about four inches off and she looks so cute!

+ I shredded junk mail to add to my compost pile.

+ I listed and sold a handful of books I’ve finished and don’t see myself reading again.

+ I used the water collected from our basement dehumidifier to water my plants.

+ I bought a new skirt (secondhand) and found a small hole in one of the pockets. Two minutes and a quick stitch later, it’s good as new!

+ Our well-used fitted sheet got a rip in it, so we had to buy a new set. The flat sheet of the old set is still in great condition, so I’m keeping it to use as a quilt backing or for some other project.

+ The hens are laying more than 90 eggs a week and we are loving the free protein source!

+ I started working on a little homemade Christmas present for each of the kids. I even found a coupon to use at Joann’s too!

Previous Frugal Accomplishments

2019: JULY // AUGUST // SEPTEMBER // OCTOBER // NOVEMBER
2020: JANUARY // FEBRUARY // APRIL // MAY // JUNE // JULY

2021: WINTER // SPRING // JULY

August 18, 2021

No.558: The Wednesday Five #21

Happy Wednesday!

A QUOTE

…Abba Arsenius’s commitment to silence was something that he tried to live out every day, and that when he spoke to those monks, he was inviting them also to make a place in their hearts that belonged only to God. This advice applies to us as well. We need to make a place in our hearts, in our day, in our home, in our schedule, in our priorities, where God can come and dwell, a place that belongs only to God. We need a place where we can silence the movements that distract us from God and listen to his word that leads us to a deeper purity of heart. – Wisdom of the Desert Fathers and Mothers, p.84

TABS OPEN IN MY BROWSER RIGHT NOW

this pie pan // I have one of these and love it – thinking of getting another
this intermittent fasting testimonial // I’m on Week Two of eating this way to help with some of my issues, but weight loss would be an added bonus!
this new-to-me food blog // everything you need for easy sourdough bread baking
Fat Brain Toys // birthdays are just around the corner!

A BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF ART

“Battlefield” by Timoléon Lobrichon (found here)

A RECOMMENDATION

If your garden is doing better than mine, be sure to check out Dishing Up the Dirt. Tons and tons of recipes for using up those delicious home-grown veggies! (I need to get to my local farm stand so I can try some too.)

HOMEMAKER CHECK-IN

How are you making the budget stretch in these tricky financial times? Let’s chat and look ahead to fall:

I’m making a big list of things we’ll need in the cooler months ahead so I can look for sales. A few things on my list: sneakers for a few of the boys, flannel sheets for my daughter’s bed, and sweater tights for me.
We’re cutting up a few trees to add to our firewood pile. I’m curious to see how well our fireplace will heat the first floor and how low I can keep our thermostat.
Feed prices have gone up over $2 per bag just in the five months we’ve been raising chickens. The laying hens eat considerably less than the broilers did, but I’m looking into fermenting options to stretch even more.

August 17, 2021

No.557: Our 2021-2022 Homeschool Plan: Term One

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Today is the first day of our eighth homeschooling year! This year, I have one in high school, one in middle school, three in elementary school and a little guy who will definitely want to be like everybody else. Our curriculum is inspired by Charlotte Mason, but is a hodgepodge of things that work well for my kids. We’re keeping a lot of old favorites and adding a few new books too. Below is my labor of love, the feast of ideas for the first twelve weeks: