EDIM 2021 | The Big White Farmhouse

May 7, 2021

No.518: Every Day in May // Day 7

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.

May 6, 2021

No.517: Every Day in May // Day 6

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!

May 5, 2021

No.516: Every Day in May // Day 5

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.

May 4, 2021

No.515: Every Day in May // Day 4

Day four: a Sunday filled with a Solemn High Mass, lazy family time and lots of chickens!

Look for the Gifts

The Epistle this week included this verse from James: Dearly beloved, every best gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change nor shadow of alteration. (James 1:17) One silly, but perfect gift I noticed today is the arrival of these beautiful California poppies in my wildflower garden beds. I thought they were goners after Lucy plowed through them last spring, but they came back…and with even more blooms than last year! So, so beautiful. Our God is such a generous Creator.

My April Phenology Wheel (Almost Finished!)

I finished up the last few sections of my phenology wheel for April and love how it turned out. Look at all of those sunny days! I have a few sticky note reminders about some of the nature-y things I saw/experienced over the month, so hopefully I’ll be able to draw those in around the edges later this week. (I used this printable for the phenology wheel, in case you want to make one yourself.)

Four Super Random Decluttered Items

Oh man. I am loving this daily decluttering so far! I have definitely gotten out of practice since my challenge ended, but the momentum’s returning. I can feel it! Here’s what I found today:

An outgrown pair of sneakers // They are still in decent shape, so I’m going to see if I can wash them really well and use a Magic Eraser around the soles to freshen them up. I’ll then add them to a bunch of Sophie’s outgrown clothes to list on Trash Nothing.
A brand new potty seat // We bought this for our youngest, took it out of the packaging, and he never used it! I may try to sell it on ebay if I can find a big enough box.
A tile sample from Sophie’s bathroom renovation // I hate to toss it, but can’t come up with any other use for it.
A really old free sample // I think I tried this primer once when I received it, but ultimately went back to my preferred makeup. This is years old, so headed for the trash.

May 3, 2021

No.514: Every Day in May // Day 3

Day three. The wind yesterday evening was wild! Thankfully, we only lost power for a few minutes. We spent the morning picking up the aftermath: moving back the trampoline, reattaching the fallen squash tunnel (note to self: secure better before planting!), and picking up random sticks and branches all over the yard.

DIY Taco Seasoning

Tacos are on the menu this upcoming week, so I quickly made some homemade taco seasoning. I used this recipe from Little Spice Jar and it should be enough for about eight pounds of meat. (If I had had more chili powder, I would have doubled the recipe.) This led me down the rabbit hole of “Maybe I should start buying my spices in bulk?” and a quick search brought up two options: Olam Spices (which looks to be for commercial use) and Mountain Rose Herbs. I’m sure there are other options out there – I need some recommendations!

I Made a Sale!

Poshmark has been hit or miss for me lately. Sometimes I get multiple sales in a row, sometimes I hear crickets for a week. Today was a good day: I sold a dress that was too big, I made a little bit of money, and there’s one less item taking space in my closet!

#28things7days Challenge, Day Three

Today’s three items: an old Johnny’s catalog from 2020 and two sets of markers that were given to me but I’ve never used. I tossed the catalog in the recycling bin – easy! For the markers, I think I’ll put them in a gallon bag and continue to fill it with random craft supplies before donating.

Pizza Night

Another delicious dinner made by my twelve-year-old pizza maker.

May 2, 2021

No.513: Every Day in May // Day 2

Day Two! We started our day bright and early with a 7am appointment to the pediatric dentist. The protocols are still pretty crazy with who/how many can go in at one time, so it’s all hands on deck: I hold down the fort in the car while Mark takes different sets of kids inside. I’m grateful that the kids easily roll with the punches and extra grateful that they all are cavity free. A few other highlights:

Little Avocado and Orange Trees

I fertilized my calamondin orange and avocado trees with with a new-to-me fertilizer by Dr. Earth (affiliate link). If the nighttime temperatures cooperate, I hope to have them finally out of my bedroom and into the garden by next week! Also on the to-do list is to get some bigger pots to eventually transplant them in.

The Booktube Spin #2

I played along with the first Booktube Spin back in February. I never got around to the actual book I was supposed to read, but I did manage to knock four others off the list instead! So for the next round, I replaced those with new choices (more affiliate links ahead):

~~Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology by Eric Brende~~ // When We Were the Kennedys: A Memoir of Mexico, Maine by Monica Wood
The Barefoot Bandit by Bob Friel
My Italian Bulldozer by Alexander McCall Smith
Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
He Leadeth Me by Walter J. Ciszek
Welcome to Lagos by Chibundu Onuzo
Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
Complications: A Surgeon’s Notes on an Imperfect Science by Atul Gawande
The Privilege of Being a Woman by Alice von Hildebrand
~~The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena~~ // Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns
~~The Girl in the Green Raincoat by Laura Lippman~~ // Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
Fatherless by Brian J. Gail
What She Knew by Gilly MacMillan
Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds by David Goggins
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
Anne of the Island by L. M. Montgomery
Moloka’i by Alan Brennert
~~An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace by Tamar Adler~~ // The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey

The host of the challenge spun the wheel and the number was…#1! Here’s hoping I actually read the book this time around.

Declutter Challenge, Day Two

Day two of the #28things7days decluttering challenge, so I chose two items that I’ve kept for a long time. I originally purchased these vintage baby girl clothes to resell in the Big White Farmhouse shop, but they never made it to the website. BWF has been closed for almost four years now (time flies…) so it’s definitely time to get them out of my house. I snapped a few pictures and listed them right away on ebay. I think they would be beautiful framed or displayed in a baby girl’s nursery!

May 1, 2021

No.512: Every Day In May // Noticing the Little Things

The past two months have been an absolute whirlwind. We’ve been in a heads down, go-go-go hustle season and can I just admit that I’m tired? So content, so happy, but so tired. I’ve also had terrible writer’s block, unable to come up with anything interesting to write about, but I miss this creative outlet so much! I’m always inspired by Hilary from Old World Home‘s “VEDA” (Vlog Every Day in April) videos, so I thought maybe I’d go back to the basics and record a few little things that brought me joy or comfort or gratitude each day. So here goes!

A Productive Laundry Day

Thursday is the day I wash my master bedroom sheets. Today, I was extra motivated and washed the white quilt too. Love climbing into clean sheets at the end of a long day. (And yes, still no headboard. One of these days…)

Cinnamon Apple Muffins

We had a bunch of apples that were looking a little rough, so the middle kids and I had “Cooking School” and got to work! We sliced some for apple chips in the dehydrator and used the rest for cinnamon apple muffins. (I used this recipe from Add a Pinch.) The kids did most of the work and the result was delicious.

A Mini Decluttering Challenge (#28things7days)

I recently stumbled upon a decluttering challenge where you declutter a number of things based on the day. So for Day 1, you declutter one item, on Day 2, you find two items, etc. After one week, you will have decluttered 28 things! I plan to do this weekly all month long, so that will bring the grand total to 112 items. I’m anxious for a little less visual clutter and a little more breathing room.

Okay, so Day 1’s item: I picked a scarf that I’ve had forever (since my daughter was a baby) but just don’t reach for anymore. I guess I wear scarves for warmth instead of fashion now! It’s still in great condition, so it’s off to the thrift store for someone else to enjoy.

P.S. Hilary mentioned that she had a two-day production schedule for her daily vlogs: she filmed on one day, edited on the next day, and scheduled the final product to go live on the third day. I’m trying her method, so each post will actually be from two days earlier. Not that it matters much in the long run!