November, 2022 | The Big White Farmhouse

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One of the tasks I wanted to accomplish this week was to wrap up the Christmas gifts I bought for our little cousins. There are seven of them, ages five and under! Why are little ones so easy and fun to shop for? The older my kids get, the more difficult and expensive shopping becomes! Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed picking out just the right toys and I wanted to share the sweetness before they get shipped off.

Sweet Christmas Gifts for Little Ones, Ages 0-5

That’s Not My Snowman board book and Snowman Stacker

That’s Not My Penguin board book and Penguin Musical Wobbler

Wooden Food Play Set

Forest Animal Stacker Toys

Warmies Teddy Bear (gently scented with real dried French lavender!)

Lego Safari Wildlife Tree House kit

Wooden Bow and Arrows

“Landscape with Houses on a Rocky Hill with a View of a Plain Beyond” by Jacob van Ruisdael

As you know, I’m a cheerleader for being an active producer vs. a passive consumer and education definitely falls in that active category. (It takes effort to think/process new information!) I’m bringing back the Mother Culture Commonplace Book series to share some of the things I’ve been learning. Here’s what I’ve been reading/watching/listening to lately…

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What is Truth?

Hannah Arendt, who studied totalitarian regimes, said as much in an interview in 1974: “If everybody always lies to you, the consequence is not that you believe the lies, but rather that nobody believes anything any longer.” But a population that no longer believes anything is robbed of its ability to think and to judge, and ultimately of its capacity to act. As Arendt says, “with such a people, you can then do what you please.” These are the ideal subjects – or the ideal opponents. – We Have Been Harmonized: Life in China’s Surveillance State, p.18

The Consequences of Fast Fashion

I’ve never shopped at this particular store, but this is an issue with lots of fast fashion brands. I also agree that the resale value of these types of clothes is so, so small – no one will pay more than $10 because you can get something brand new for the same price! I have so many thoughts about this topic (remember when I gave myself a summer reading assignment about this here on the blog?), but that’s another post for another day.

Australia’s Most Baffling Missing Persons Case

I’m in the middle of listening to the podcast, The Lady Vanishes. A quick description from the website: “Marion Barter, an Australian mother and teacher, vanished in 1997. She was 51 years old. The ex-wife of Australian Soccer captain Johnny Warren, Marion suddenly quit her job, sold her house and went to England for a year-long holiday. Then she simply vanished. For 25 years her daughter Sally has been searching for her. This is Australia’s most-baffling missing persons case.”

So many questions! How can a person run away from their life, leaving their family wondering if foul play was involved? Does a person have a right to start fresh without telling anyone? How far can an investigation go? Where does it cross the boundaries of privacy?

Sneaky Little Blue Jays

Blue Jay Print by Trail Bug Prints

This common songbird sure is beautiful with his blue back and soft white belly. But did you know he has a naughty side? Blue Jays are known to take and eat eggs and tiny chicks of other birds, sometimes even from chickens! I went down a rabbit hole about frustrated homesteaders flabbergasted with the continual issue of pecked eggs. After stakeouts and cameras, they discovered the culprit was none other than a blue jay! So interesting. Another fun blue jay fact: crows are part of the same family (the Corvidae).

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Can you believe there’s only 45 days left in 2022?! Since we’re on the homestretch, I thought it’s about time I reviewed my goals! This should be interesting…

#1. GET SERIOUS ABOUT NUTRITION.

My original intentions: 2021 was the year where I stopped making excuses and really took my health seriously. I’m keeping that momentum by continuing intermittent fasting, weaning off of almost all processed foods, and giving up sugar for at least six months(!!). I’d also like to focus on nutrient dense foods, with bonus points for food grown and raised by us. My kids will be joining in on this adventure, just maybe a little less extreme.

How it’s going: BUAH HA HA HA. Oh boy…I could not have fallen further from this goal. During planting season, I survived on granola bars and “healthy” white cheddar puff Cheetos. And this fall, my emotional eating habits went berserk as I dealt (poorly) with all of the stressors going on. I’ll give myself a few bonus points for eating things grown by us (thank goodness for healthy meats and veggies!) but I’m a far cry from where I envisioned myself in January.

My plan for the rest of 2022: I’m feeling the effects of a lackluster diet and really need to refocus on nutritionally dense meals. And the sugar…definitely need to rein that back in too. Baby steps.

#2. READ MORE NONFICTION.

My original intentions: One of the cons of my 100 book reading goal was that I prioritized “easier” books that I knew I could breeze through quickly. This year, I’d like to read more nonfiction, even if it takes me awhile to finish. I entertained the idea of a new challenge (something like a 1001 Nonfiction Book Reading Challenge?), but ultimately decided to complete the Alphabet Challenge for Nonfiction first.

How it’s going: As of this writing, I have read 8 nonfiction books, which is 12.5% of my total reading. Not exactly what I had pictured back in January, but not too terrible! The eight books I read were:

My plan for the rest of 2022: I think I can squeeze in at least one more before year’s end!

#3. MAKE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL WITH MY OWN HANDS AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH.

My original intentions: This is lifegiving in the best way for me.

How it’s going: When I made this goal, I was imagining twelve finished projects that I could share at the end of each month. And as we know…that definitely did not happen! In reflection, though, I realized that I chased beauty in different, sometimes non-traditional ways: expanding my gardens, perfecting my sourdough bread, stitching and quilting and interior design. It didn’t fit nicely in a box, but I think I was successful.

My plan for the rest of 2022: My focus has been on the house lately, so I’m going to keep running in that direction. Maybe I’ll even finish the laundry room!

#4. EXPAND THE HOMESTEAD.

My original intentions: Bigger gardens and more animals! Little by little, we are creating a more self-sufficient way of life.

How it’s going: Big YES for this one! We expanded the gardens, started the construction of the food forest, raised/processed 300 broiler chickens and 15 more hens, raised/processed two pigs and kept two other pigs healthy for breeding. I’ve never worked so hard, but it’s the most satisfying kind of work.

My plan for the rest of 2022: I’m looking forward to doing the bare minimum! I need the rest before hitting the ground running in 2023.

#5. AGGRESSIVELY WORK TOWARD THE GOAL OF PAYING OFF OUR MORTGAGE EARLY.

My original intentions: Lots of thoughts fall under this huge goal. I know my first order of business will be to brainstorm multiple income streams…what I can offer in the state of life I’m currently in? What are my gifts?

How it’s going: This goal has ebbed and flowed throughout the year, but we are still inching closer and closer! Some months we were able to put a big chunk on the principal, some months we could only manage the payment amount. Even so, we’re still passionate about this goal so we’ll keep moving forward. As of this writing, we’ve paid off 13.9% of the loan…only 86.1% to go!

My plan for the rest of 2022: As inflation soars, side hustles are becoming more and more important to keeping this goal alive. 2022 was the year for brainstorming and creation, 2023 will be for a more focused execution. I hope to flesh out some goals before New Year’s Eve.

#6. IMPROVE MY SELF-PROTECTION SKILLS.

My original intentions: The world can be a dangerous place, but knowing you can protect yourself produces confidence and not fear. This is the year I’ll finally finish my self defense course!

How it’s going: Zero progress made in this area. I didn’t even pull the self defense course out of my closet!

My plan for the rest of 2022: This might make a good goal for the winter. I’ll start by finding those DVDs, ha!

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I’ve been thinking a lot about what makes a house a home. So often I look at my house with a critical eye: that needs to be repainted, we’re going to have to get that repaired sometime soon, why did the previous owner pick that?!

During the blog break, I went on a cleaning spree and filled my days with cleaning and tidying, decluttering and straightening. Is it too dramatic to say that I love my home even more now? I don’t have the money for a kitchen renovation or floor refinishing or professionally skim coated walls. But there’s something magical about the power of soap and elbow grease. (Remember this “soap is cheap” article?) There’s something beautiful about rearranging our belongings just so, figuring out ways to make our spaces work best for this specific time in our lives. There’s something freeing to be able to say that while it’s not perfect (and will it ever be?), it’s still good.

A few other highlights from last week:

My Christmas cactus may be a Thanksgiving cactus this year!

Organization project of the week: I worked on my pantry with the addition of these command mop grippers. Now my mop and brooms are up off the floor and out of the way! (And mini frugal accomplishment: I shopped around for a good price for these clips and couldn’t find anything cheaper than $9 for one hook. A quick look on Poshmark and I found someone selling four for $9! Love a good deal, especially these days.)

I worked through The Tenant of Wildfell Hall most of the week for book club. A good story, but whew…a slog to get through the middle!

A further consequence of my blog break cleaning spree was a new aversion for mass-produced decor. I recently read an article that commented on the lure of materialism in social media and how it influenced home decor and design. One woman was lamenting about a gold mirror in her baby’s nursery that was “all the rage” two years ago, but is now basically unnecessary and useless. It’s fascinating how we can be so subconsciously manipulated! Anyway, I’m discovering more and more that I love unique, old things and I want them to be a part of everyday life. Nothing too precious to be kept in a cabinet collecting dust!

Some examples I’ve recently implemented/acquired: I used my grandmother’s china teacups to be “scoopers” for my flour/sugar/oats jars. I pulled out an old dish (also from a grandmother) to hold my everyday jewelry. I purchased a beautiful vintage (supposedly European) soap dish for my kitchen sink. They’re all small little details that create a collected look all my own.

No photographic evidence, but I also:

+ woke up early to see the lunar eclipse and the “blood moon” on Tuesday. Standing outside in the silence with a sky full of stars… it was so incredibly beautiful. What an amazing Creator we serve.
+ did my yearly stripping of the processing clothes as my boys are done with farm work for the season. So gross. So satisfying.
+ continued applying essential oils to my (very large) pig’s hurt leg. Fred’s been limping, so at the advice of a friend, I ordered and started applying Ache Away. I never know what to expect with these homeopathic-type remedies, but it appears to be working! He’s slowly getting the pep back in his step.
+ opened an electric bill informing us of another price increase. I think this is #3 for the year? It goes into effect in January 2023, so we’ll have to be extra careful with our heating. Lots of fires in the fireplace in our future!

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1 // THESE BLANKETS FOR KIDS

I received a weighted blanket for Christmas a few years ago and it’s a crowd favorite with the entire family. I finally decided to invest in some for the kids (so they’d stop stealing mine!) and eventually landed on WeeSprout weighted blankets. I like that they have choices appropriate for different ages/sizes (I got the 5lb for my youngest and 10lb for my middle kids) and the quilted look distributes the weight evenly. And extra awesome: I think the kids sleep more deeply when they use them. Happy, well-rested kids = a happy mama.

2 // THIS SOUP, PERFECT FOR SORE THROATS AND CHILLY NIGHTS

Back in October, I had some random bits of things in the fridge that would be perfect for a soup. A quick search led me to this chicken noodle soup recipe and it was a big hit. I’m keeping the recipe close by for the inevitable days when we have the sniffles or just need something warm to fill our bellies.

3 // THIS QUOTE

…it occurs to me now, however, that I might work with light itself. It has always captivated me, the way it shifts and alters all that it touches, significant both in presence and in absence. I am desperate to begin. I have become too mindful of suffering and darkness; they attend to me even when I bid them not to, like scavenger birds perched and waiting for the calf to die. And when I seek a finer grace in the day, some essence of love and life, the light fades beneath my eyes. I will not abandon the quest before it has truly begun, however. I will let this grief sharpen my gaze, polish and shape it until it becomes a magnifying lens through which I might yet see.

– To the Bright Edge of the World, page 218

4 // THIS POPCORN MAKER

We’ve been without a popcorn maker for quite awhile now. Our previous one broke and every time I tried to reorder another, the shipment was ultimately cancelled. Womp womp. Recently, while on Poshmark for something completely unrelated, I stumbled on a brand new, never removed from the box popcorn maker! (I know I’m a broken record at this point, but I’m loving the “secondhand” market right now.) I’ve never used this type of popper before and I’m loving it. Smaller footprint, no oil needed and cleanup is minimal. So great. I was thinking that when paired with some popcorn kernels and a movie, it would make a really sweet family gift for Christmas. If you can’t find another one on Poshmark, Amazon sells them as well.

5 // THIS TOOL THAT TRANSFORMED MY UGLY COUCH!

Back in December 2020, still on cloud nine from becoming debt free, we finally replaced our beat-up Ikea couch with a more expensive, “grown-up” sectional. I went with a lighter color in a less child-friendly, but allegedly “high performance fabric.” This was it, guys – the start of a new beginning! And very, very quickly…the fabric was covered with pilling. Think of your oldest, most ratty sweater and multiply by 10. I was convinced I had made a wrong fabric selection (you know how some of these places have fabrics that are completely impractical for actual living!) and was so, so embarrassed to have wasted so much money. But whatcha gonna do? I threw some throw pillows and blankets on it and tried to ignore all of its ugly glory. Fast forward to two weeks ago when I randomly stumbled on an article about caring for upholstery. Halfway through, it basically said, “Pilling on couch upholstery is completely normal and you just need a fabric shaver to make it look good as new.” How did I not know this?! I ordered the one they recommended, the Gleener fabric shaver, and my couch is transformed! If you get satisfaction from vacuuming, you’ll love this thing.

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The weather outside is //

Still going strong on Operation “See How Long We Can Go Without Turning on the Heat”! This warmish week should help.

As I look outside my window // Most of the trees around our property are poplars and they’re always the first to lose their leaves. We have a few evergreens and a few oak stragglers still showing off their colors, but it’s looking a little bare out there. A different kind of beautiful.

As I look around the house // I have so much to catch up on after the excitement of last week (see below)! Lots and lots of laundry in my future. After an entire week off, I’m also returning to my new cleaning routine. It’s nothing ground-breaking, but I started assigning days to rooms/zones and it’s working great! Here’s my weekly plan:

Monday: Living Room/Dining Room
Tuesday: Kitchen
Wednesday: Master Bedroom
Thursday: Bathrooms
Friday: Kids Bedrooms
Saturday: Mudroom/Outside
Sunday: rest day

We already have a basic level of upkeep (general tidying, daily laundry, vacuuming when necessary, washing/putting away dishes, etc) so this is really for those things that I should do, but never seem to get around to doing. For example, on “Master Bedroom Day” a couple of weeks ago, I pulled down all of my curtains, washed, ironed and rehung them. I’ve also organized my pantry, decluttered half of my closet, scrubbed bathroom cabinets, etc etc. It feels so good to chip away at all of those little tasks that often get pushed under the rug. One other task I also assign to each day is dusting and window washing because man oh man, do those things make a difference! (I’m also obsessed with this reusable dusting cloth and this window cleaning kit!)

Recovering // from a gnarly bout of stomach flu that made its way through the entire family. Thankfully, the kids bounced back quickly…me, not so much. Getting old is hard.

Thinking // about a vivid dream I had last Friday night. I don’t remember any of the back story, just that I was sharing with someone the impact my grandmothers made in my life and how much I miss them now that they have gone. I woke up weeping and it was such a random, bizarre occurrence. I never remember my dreams! I wonder what it means.

On this week’s to-do list // – try to see the total lunar eclipse (“red moon”) on Tuesday – vote – plant garlic – mop hardwood floors – go through the kids’ shoes and remove the unneeded/outgrown ones – order Christmas stamps – work on stocking stuffers

– order grit pads to continue sanding the laundry room walls

Currently reading //

On the menu this week //

Monday: white chicken chili
Tuesday: sheet pan mini meatloaves with potatoes and green beans
Wednesday: scrambled eggs with ham and cheese crepes
Thursday: Refrigerator Clean-out Night
Friday: bean and cheese burritos

First things first: thank you so, so much for all of your kind words on my last post. I appreciate you more than you know. xo

FIVE THINGS I LOVED

multi-colored leaves everywhere you look
cozy fires in the fireplace
baby steps closer on our financial goals
a basement setup that better suits our growing kids
magnesium supplementation

FIVE LESSONS I LEARNED

It feels good to stretch my creative muscles! // I tried a handful of new creative pursuits this month, including drawing, coding and interior design. I’m not very good at any of them, but the challenge is exciting and I want to learn more.
Molting chickens are the saddest things I’ve ever seen. // So scrawny and pathetic! Thankfully, the new feathers seem to come in pretty quickly.
“The Lord heard her cry.” // I am still going strong with the Bible in a Year podcast. We have been reading the book of Daniel and one part in Chapter 13 really spoke to me. (Don’t you love when that happens?) The story of Susanna is not similar to my own in any way, but the words in verse 44 were so powerful to me: “The Lord heard her cry.” He hears us, He cares. Such a comforting reminder.
Catfishing still flabbergasts me. // I recently listened to Sweet Bobby, a podcast about catfishing. These stories fascinate me because I find it hard to understand both sides of the story: the victim who blindly trusts someone who consistently refuses to Skype/meet in person and the criminal who weaves the entire fabrication. Mindblowing.
Dresses are working for me right now. // With all of the things going on, I’ve…ahem…put on a few pounds. I don’t stress out about it much (no time for that!) but it does change how clothes fit, especially pants. So dresses have become my go-to daily outfit and I don’t hate it!

FIVE GOALS FOR OCTOBER REVIEWED

✔ ~~Start Christmas shopping.~~ A solid start! The goal is to be completely finished by mid-November.
✔ ~~Stock the winter medicine cabinet.~~ I bought our go-to vitamins, supplements and teas (we were already okay with meds) and hopefully they’ll keep us all healthy this winter.
✔ ~~Take our own family pictures.~~ After a few years off, I decided to try to take our family pictures for Christmas cards. It was a little crazy, but bigger kids make for less stress and more efficient photography. We were done in ten minutes.
✔ ~~Learn how to water glass eggs.~~ Super easy! And now we have eggs saved for a rainy day.
✔ ~~Review my intentions for blogging.~~ I’m not sure if I’m adding to the noise or speaking into the wind, but I think I’m supposed to keep showing up.

FIVE GOALS FOR NOVEMBER

Pray novena prayers for the holy souls in Purgatory all month.
Plan a simple Thanksgiving dinner.
Finally finish the laundry room walls!
Plant garlic.
Finish Christmas shopping.