wednesday five | The Big White Farmhouse – Page 2

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Happy Wednesday!

A QUOTE

If nothing slows their momentum, Amazon will control nearly 80% of the consumer book market by the end of 2025. Every single book lover should worry. After we’re done worrying, we must change the way we buy books.

Books are a fundamental social good that have an outsized impact on our development, individually and collectively. They move us forward. They have been fundamental to our moral and social evolution, our inner lives, and our understanding of ourselves, others, and the world. What they give us is too precious to trust to a single entity for whom they are ultimately just a product, and whose algorithms value them only by the revenue and customers they bring in. – from a thought-provoking letter from Bookshop’s founder, Andy Hunter

TABS OPEN IN MY BROWSER RIGHT NOW

A BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF ART

“Mother with Children” by Ferdinand Georg Waldmuller (found here)

A RECOMMENDATION

The Heights School has a wonderful reading list for boys on their website. From the intro: “What cannot be found here are the types of books—a product of very recent times—that have been written to promote reading as a form of entertainment, a mere distraction, to compete with video games, the Internet, and television, leaving little to the imagination. Instead, these recommended titles require the cultivation of a certain amount of interior silence and strength to retreat into a world where the written word works with the imagination to give life to an adventure. As such, it will be an effort for some to become immersed in these books. Nonetheless, the ascetical struggle to cultivate the interior silence necessary to enter these imaginative worlds (both fiction and non-fiction) will undoubtedly be richly rewarded.” I have been referring to the list as I make school plans and introduce new works of literature into our home library.

THREE GOOD THINGS

hens that lay almost a dozen eggs each morning(!!), wearing an apron that was also worn by my great-grandmother, an afternoon thunderstorm

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Happy Wednesday!

A QUOTE

To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not, rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common. this is my symphony.
― William Ellery Channing

A RECIPE

I saw a video from Minimal Mom for Lazy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars and knew it would be a fun summer treat. I had my daughter make it completely on her own and she did great!

MY FIVE FAVORITE FRUGAL LIVING PURCHASES

When I was first investigating the “less waste” lifestyle, I was surprised to see the vast amount of stuff that influencers were pushing me to buy. Throw out your plastic toothbrush and buy this bamboo one! Throw away your H&M shirt and buy this sustainably made one instead! I’m more of the mentality that you should use something until it’s literally falling apart, so I never understood the materialistic push. I mean…duct tape is your friend, right?

Frugality also places a big emphasis on less waste, and after two years of intentionally living this way, I have realized how little I’ve actually had to purchase to accomplish this goal. I wanted to compile a list of the items I frequently mention on my “Frugal Accomplishment” posts; these are all things that I believe are completely worth the money and I use them all the time:

1. Souper Cubes // what I use to measure out (and then freeze) my homemade chicken stock
2. Swag Bags // a nice way to store vegetables both from the garden and the store/farmer’s market
3. Soap Saver Bag // I get a few more uses out of those tiny bits and pieces
4. Food Dehydrator // we use this a lot for fruit that is starting to look a little rough
5. Anchor Hocking Glass Containers // keeps leftovers visible and I love that they are American made
6. BONUS! Big Bags/Containers of Baking Soda and Vinegar // I’ve been shocked at how many things you can make/clean/fix with these two simple ingredients

ON MY NIGHTSTAND

Two books I just started: Days on the Road: Crossing the Plains in 1895 by Sarah Raymond Herndon and Ashes of Fiery Weather by Kathleen Donohoe

THREE GOOD THINGS

Eating food that we’ve grown on our own land, fireflies at dusk, reading a book on a rainy day

A QUOTE

There is no evil to be faced that Christ does not face with us. There is no enemy that Christ has not already conquered. There is no cross to bear that Christ has not already borne for us, and does not now bear with us. And on the far side of every cross we find the newness of life in the Holy Spirit, that new life which will reach its fulfillment in the resurrection. This is our faith. This is our witness before the world. – St. John Paul II

A RECIPE

We plan to make these Easter egg cookie cups later this week. Looks festive and easy!

WHAT’S IN MY TAB BAR RIGHT NOW

A RECOMMENDATION

If you love beautiful editions of classic books, the Bluestocking Bookshelf is the website for you! You’ll find curated lists, along with the corresponding ISBNs, for so many collections. I want to read them all!

A MOMENT OF HAPPINESS

Two big moments so far this week: my daffodils finally bloomed and the “dudes” (the broilers) went out on pasture!

Linking up with Rosie!

A QUOTE

We were taught that if you bought something it should last forever – or as close to forever as we could contrive. I think one of the cleverest tricks was how we extended the lives of socks. When the socks of the biggest child developed hole in the toes, Grandma, using her dressmaker’s shears, would cut off the end, sew it closed on the sewing machine, and pass the socks down to the child next in size. When the socks developed holes again, she would repeat this until the sock had been passed down to the child with the smallest foot. You think that was the end of those socks? “Not on your tintype!” as she would have put it. She cut the ribbed tops off of those socks and they did duty sewn into the ends of sleeves of fall and winter jackets and coats to keep out the bitter cold. – Little Heathens: Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the Great Depression, p.86

Can you imagine? I’m a little embarrassed by how quickly I chuck our worn-out socks around here…

A BOOK

I’m so excited about this latest find for the kids: William Shakespeare’s Star Wars series! We started with Verily, A New Hope (affiliate link) and my very picky middle school reader flew through it in days. I struggle reading Shakespeare myself, so this seems like a fun way to get used to the style and wording.

A BIT OF NATURE

Probably one of the ugliest pictures ever, but look! Daffodils will be blooming soon.

A RECOMMENDATION

Katherine’s post, What I Learned Wearing the Same Dress 100 Days in a Row, was so interesting and inspiring! I am definitely not someone who finds creativity in the art of getting dressed (read: most boring wardrobe ever and I like it that way!), so her experience felt like permission to continue on this self-imposed simplicity path. Who cares if I only own one pair of jeans? If they fit well and are neat/clean, no one will give me a second glance.

A MOMENT OF HAPPINESS

We have this little bunny statue (shown above) that I tucked in with the wildflowers last season. My four-year-old LOVES this thing and has now officially adopted it. Every day when he goes out to play, he seems to find a new place to stash it. I’ve seen it everywhere from the porch to the side of the driveway to the trampoline. You never know where Mr. Bunny will show up next!

A QUOTE

There was this phrase they kept repeating: “Many hands make work light.” The statement was true, though hard to explain. Gradually, as you applied yourself to your task, the threads of friends and conversation would grow and connect you to laborers around you. Then everything suddenly became inverted. You’d forget you were working and get caught up in the camaraderie, the sense of lightened effort. This surely must rank among the greatest of labor-saving secrets. Work folded into fun and disappeared. Friendship, conversation, exercise, fresh air, all melded together into a single act of mutual self-forgetting. – Better Off, page 31

A NEW-TO-ME BOOKISH BLOG

This has a bit of a back story. While I was organizing my books, I stumbled upon The Well-Educated Mind, which led me to thoughts about Don Quixote. (Remember when I was going to pick it back up last August?) Those thoughts led me to the question of “I wonder if anyone has actually finished the entire booklist in The Well-Educated Mind?” and then I found the blog, A Great Book Study. I’ve only perused a small portion of her blog, but am already so inspired to challenge myself with books I wouldn’t normally pick up on my own.

A BIT OF NATURE

58º and sunshine through the trees! What a welcome sight after so many cold, dreary days.

A RECOMMENDATION

I mentioned Sophie’s Jixel set on Monday, but wanted to recommend it again since some of the smaller sets may be a good Easter basket idea! Jixels are a mix of puzzle and pixelated art, reusable, and perfect for that tween/almost tween age range. They come with templates or you can create your own designs. A great non-screen, relatively non-messy creative craft!

A DEEP THOUGHT

Sometimes I like to do little things for my kids: set up a scene with the Legos they left on the living room coffee table, buy that book they’ve mentioned in passing, bake their favorite cookies while they’re out of the house or playing upstairs. I love their surprise, their excitement, their joy. Recently, as I was organizing markers and coloring books for a little craft corner, I had the thought that God, such the loving Father, does things much the same way. He sets out the beauty of nature like a multi-colored sunset or a tender moment between loved ones. He lays out all the pieces and says, “Come and see what I have made for you!” Some days I am extra aware of these pieces and my heart fills to almost bursting. More often, I begrudgingly go about my day, head down and eyes blind. What a waste. I want eyes to see.

The real things haven’t changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures; and have courage when things go wrong.
– Laura Ingalls Wilder

A LIST OF LESSONS LEARNED IN 2020

Inspired by Amber’s list, a handful of lessons from last year:

Living in terror/constant anxiety/fear is a choice.
If you live in a manner that makes you ready for death (at any time in any form), there is even less need to fear or despair.
Abandonment to God’s will is not as excruciatingly hard as I imagined it to be.
God is merciful, but He is also just.
Being unable to attend Mass and receive the Eucharist was profound suffering. I now pray often for the underground church around the world and hope to never take the Sacraments for granted again.
Getting out in the sunshine is good for the body and the soul.
Hard physical work is good work.
Watching things grow from a little seed is incredible and awe-inspiring.
Man is not an island. We need each other.
My husband and children are my greatest blessing.

NEW GOAL: HAVE A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE NEWS

I gave up publicly posting/interacting with social media back in 2019 and haven’t looked back. It was never a good use of my time and I hated that I always had my phone in my hand. Unfortunately, with so many unknowns and changes in 2020, I returned to bad habits, but in a new way: I turned into a news reading fiend! And you can’t read just one source because there’s always a bias, so I’d read articles from all over the map, digging out what possibly were the facts and trying to sift out the rest. And then I’d listen to a variety of commentators on Youtube explain their opinions on the news. Yeesh. It’s too much and I’m now convinced that man was just not created to ingest that amount of information. So for 2021, I’m trying something new. Keeping up to date with what is happening in the world is important, but it doesn’t need to be a constant part of my day. I think I’ll check a few sites in the morning (before we start school) and then keep my phone tucked away in my bedroom until late in the afternoon. Two days in and so far, so good.

WINTER WEATHER FAVORITES

Winters are generally pretty mild in Virginia, so it took me a long time to invest in quality winter gear. I’ve occasionally gotten lucky with secondhand pieces (and continue to check in every so often on ThredUp, Ebay and Poshmark, just in case!) but less so as the kids get older. I always wait for sales and choose simple colors (like blue or black) that anyone in the family would be comfortable wearing. A few of our favorites are L.L.Bean snow pants and boots, Love Woolies wool mittens (a small business) and – new to us this year – Carhartt jackets.

THREE GOOD THINGS

bright red sunsets peeking through bare trees, another order from my favorite soapmaker (affiliate link), and a mind bubbling with creative ideas (SO welcome after a year of dryness)

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Happy Wednesday!

A QUOTE

Gentlemen, we are going to relentlessly chase perfection, knowing full well we will not catch it, because nothing is perfect. But we are going to relentlessly chase it, because in the process we will catch excellence. I am not remotely interested in just being good. — Vince Lombardi

First team meeting as Packers coach (1959), reported in Chuck Carlson, Game of My Life: 25 Stories of Packers Football (2004), p. 149

Obviously, this quote was about football, but I found it inspiring in the context of the spiritual life. Every day, we have the opportunity to become a little bit holier, to love others a little bit deeper, to live our vocations a little bit better. We strive. (This video is on the same wavelength and worth a listen.)

TWO SOUPS FOR CHILLY DAYS

I love fall/winter because I can stretch my dollar a little bit further with soup! They usually only require a small amount of meat and a lot of vegetables or beans, which helps me feed my crew. I have recently made the two soups below and love them because they are delicious and they make a lot. There’s usually plenty for dinner the first night and I’ll have the leftovers for lunch.

A MOMENT OF HAPPINESS

After years and years, I’m finally almost finished with my “Winter” cross-stitch! I keep this project tucked away for most of the year and usually pull it out for a few weeks in January. It’s been a fun little tradition, but I’m ready to start something new. I got started now in November and can see the finish line!

Looking back at May with my five today:

A QUOTE

Love and sacrifice are closely linked, like the sun and the light. We cannot love without suffering and we cannot suffer without love. – Saint Gianna Molla

MAY HIGHLIGHTS

+ We completed our required standardized testing for the state and school is officially out for summer! + Mark and the boys finished garden fence construction just in time for Mother’s Day. It was so overwhelming to see my little plan come to life that I cried and they all made fun of me, ha! + I planted almost everything I needed to, but had to get creative due to the lockdown. I ordered all of my tomato and pepper seedlings in the mail and was pleasantly surprised by how healthy most of them looked when they arrived.

+ I hit a wall with my mental health and had a hard couple of weeks, but am fighting my way back.

Blueberry Peach Cobbler. I made a double batch of our favorite summertime dessert and it was still gone in minutes.
Skillet Rice and Beans with Kielbasa. I like this recipe because it uses cheap staple ingredients, is fast to make and it’s delicious.
My New Oatmeal Concoction. I got a little crazy and tried something new: I warm up cinnamon and spice oatmeal, then swirl in a big spoonful of pumpkin puree and sprinkle a handful of raisins and nuts on top. It tastes like fall in a bowl and really keeps me full. I’ve eaten it every morning since.

2020 GOALS UPDATE

✔ I want to spend time with God everyday. I unintentionally took a break from my Bible plan but started again at the end of the month. As of May 31, I was on day 281/365. I’m also still reading Saint Faustina’s Diary – almost done!

✔ I want to keep on, keepin’ on with our debt freedom journey. These times are so uncertain that we’ve been doing a little bit of everything with any extra money including adding to our savings and starting to replenish supplies in our emergency closet. We did make a small extra payment on a student loan – every little bit helps. We’re getting closer!

✔ I want to hand write 52 pieces of mail. My first 2020 goal completely done! Mother’s Day thankfully helped me boost the numbers because I hit a wall after that. I sent out 11 pieces. (Here is the post.) Current total = 56

✔ I want to write 150 blog posts. I posted 15 times, which seems decent. Current total = 80

✔ I want to read 52 books. I read 7 books. (Here is the post.) Current total = 39

✘ I want to take the first steps for postpartum doula certification. Put on hold for now.

✔ I want to create a family culture of generosity. We’re keepin’ on with our 20/20 Giving but are anxious to give more of our time and talent as things start to re-open again:

May’s $20 Donation // We donated again to our local food bank.
May’s 20 Minutes of Time and Talent // Mark is keeping his men’s group alive with texts and virtual meetings

MAY 2020 IN NUMBERS

+ Loads of Laundry: 41
+ Loaves of Bread Made: 30
+ Total Hours Spent Outside: 35
+ Money Spent on Groceries: a gazillion dollars (but seriously, so much money)

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Happy Wednesday!

A QUOTE ON GRATITUDE

I have learned over a period of time to be almost unconsciously grateful–as a child is–for a sunny day, blue water, flowers in a vase, a tree turning red. I have learned to be glad at dawn and when the sky is dark. Only children and a few spiritually evolved people are born to feel gratitude as naturally as they breathe, without even thinking. Most of us come to it step by painful step, to discover that gratitude is a form of acceptance.
― Faith Baldwin, Many Windows, Seasons of the Heart

BOOKS ON MY NIGHTSTAND

We’re just a few days away from the beginning of our summer break! Here are a few ideas that we will be doing to keep some structure to our days – maybe they’ll inspire you too!

A nightly read aloud. I’m thinking about starting the Magic Treehouse series with my 7 and 5 year olds and then doing a corresponding activity (very low key and mostly led by them) sometime during the week.
A weekly science experiment. This does not have be complicated. Shining pennies with lemon juice has kept my younger kids enthralled for almost an hour.
For my older boys, we have a summer tradition that if you read five books, you earn a sugary cereal that you don’t have to share. (I copied this genius idea from Theresa and it’s been a huge hit.) We set the threshold at five because my boys fly through books, but you may want to lower that for extra motivation.
Cooking is a great task for my older kids, although my littles help a lot too. Not only a life skill, but paying attention to detail, measurement, knowing the difference between baking soda and baking powder…all good things. At the beginning, I usually go over the recipe, make sure to distinguish between teaspoon and tablespoon, and then off they go.
At the dinner table, we sometimes play the “Guess what I learned today?” game. This implies that you sought out new information in some way. So, my preschooler may rattle off some facts from a Wild Kratts episode, my teenager may share about what distortion pedals do for his guitar, or maybe I learned the definition of a word from a book I’m reading. The results are always fun, random and interesting.
Outside as much as possible! I’ve printed out our 100 Hours Outside chart and we’re going to see how quickly we can fill it in.

I think the description of this Morning Dew candle from Lustre + Bloom sounds intriguing: “Dewy petals, jasmine, rain drops + wild grass create beautiful top + mid fragrance notes.” Wish I could smell it through the screen!
I definitely have said the saying on this t-shirt about a million times since the lockdown began.
Is recipe organization on your to-do list? This 3-ring recipe binder is gorgeous and is pretty enough to keep on the counter. I think it would make a thoughtful bridal shower gift too.
Elyse Breanne Design has a little bit of everything in her shop, but make sure to check out her greeting cards. $3.50 and free shipping is a great price point!

2020 GOALS UPDATE

✔ I want to spend time with God everyday. I’m still working through the Bible (as of April 30, I was on day 275/365). I’m reading through Saint Faustina’s Diary, which has led to much reflection and prayer. I also finished the 54-day novena and am so proud of myself that I didn’t miss a single day! The rosary is once again an important, non-negotiable part of my day.

✔ I want to keep on, keepin’ on with our debt freedom journey. We used most of the stimulus check to pay the remaining balance on our car loan! So, so happy not to have a car payment for awhile.

✘ I want to be a better steward of my home. We’re all coping in different ways during this quarantine and something has to give. For whatever reason, staying on top of chores has been my breaking point. I’m probably accomplishing about 50% of the tasks listed on The Confident Mom’s Household Planner. Our house isn’t filthy, but it isn’t as sparkling as it has been in the months prior. Oh well…hoping May will be better for me in this department.

✔ I want to hand write 52 pieces of mail. I sent out 11 pieces. (Here is the post.) Current total = 45

✔ I want to write 150 blog posts. A pretty strong month! I posted 18 times. Current total = 65

✔ I want to read 52 books. I read 8 books. (Here is the post.) Current total = 32

✘ I want to take the first steps for postpartum doula certification. This has been put on hold for the time being.

✔ I want to create a family culture of generosity.

April’s $20 Donation // We donated money to a local farmer (and a friend of Mark’s) who will then donate that amount in fresh produce and meat to the food pantry. A win/win!
April’s 20 Minutes of Time and Talent // Mark led his men’s group virtually through Easter, the kids have worked tirelessly on the garden, and I sent lots of mail

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Happy Wednesday!

A QUOTE

A noble and delicate soul, even the most simple, but one of delicate sensibilities, sees God in everything, finds Him everywhere, and knows how to find Him in even the most hidden things. It finds all things important, it highly appreciates all things, it thanks God for all things, it draws profit for the soul from all things, and it gives all glory to God. It places its trust in God and is not confused when the time of ordeals comes. It knows that God is always the best of Fathers and makes little of human opinion. It follows faithfully the faintest breath of the Holy Spirit; it rejoices in this Spiritual Guest and holds onto Him like a child to its mother. Where other souls comes to a standstill and fear, this soul passes on without fear or difficulty. – Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska’s Diary, p.83

THE BOOKS ON MY NIGHTSTAND

I’m cycling through three books right now:

Fiction: The Rosie Effect, which is the sequel to The Rosie Project but isn’t nearly as good as the first one. Still pushing through because…maybe it will get better?
Non-fiction: There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather. I’m less than 100 pages in, but it’s already reinforced so many reasons why we’ve chosen to continue homeschooling.
Religious: I picked up Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska’s Diary after listening to a homily on Divine Mercy Sunday and it’s better than I remembered. A lot to ponder and pray about.

#STANDWITHSMALL

A 100 LITTLE THINGS UPDATE

Work on my 100 Little Things list has been puttering along. I need to step up the pace! Current total is 36/100 with a little over three months to go.

✔ #29. Find a free piano. My parents have said that we could take their piano, but we want to wait until P is a little older before we move it. (He loves to bang on it when we visit their house and I don’t think I could handle that on a daily basis.) For now, we bought a keyboard for the kids to use.
✔ #1. Buy a spice organizer. I cannot tell you how long I have wanted this! It’s one of those items that falls into the “definitely not a need, but it would make me happy” category and more important things have always popped up. Finally made it happen in February and I was right: having all of the containers neatly organized makes me insanely happy every time I open the cabinet door.
✔ #58. Make homemade playdough. We made a batch in February and it was a huge hit with the three youngest.
✔ #38. Build raised garden beds. Mark made us twelve 4’x4′ beds! Can’t wait to fill them up with flowers and veggies.
✔ #60. Do 90 days of no sugar. I started this goal on January 13th with the intention of going sugar-free until Easter. I stayed strong and was thriving until the anxiety created by the pandemic had me stress baking. I didn’t make it to exactly 90 days, but am still calling it a success. I fully intend to go back to no sugar on the weekdays going forward…I feel SO much better without it.
✔ #37. Hang a mason bee house. Purchased, hung and ready for the bees!
✔ #85. Thank the trash guys. We made it social distancing friendly by taping a sign to our trash can.
✔ #87. Pay off the car. So so happy to have this one checked off the list!
✔ #77. Send someone flowers. We sent tulips for my mom’s birthday.

A FRUGAL ACCOMPLISHMENT QUESTION

Earlier this year, I splurged on beautiful white Turkish hand towels for our bathrooms. Unfortunately, this has proven to be a foolish purchase because…kids. (#thisiswhywecanthavenicethings) Our Virginia clay/mud has discolored the towels and all of my natural stain removal techniques haven’t worked. The tag says that I shouldn’t bleach them, so do I have any other options? Consider it a failed experiment? Are there any tricks left that I can try to make whites white again? Help!

Happy Wednesday! Looking back at March with my five today:

A QUOTE

Faith is what gets you started. Hope is what keeps you going. Love is what brings you to the end. – Mother Angelica

MARCH HIGHLIGHTS

+ We all finally caught the Influenza A that has been going around all winter. It wiped us out for a solid two weeks. + The coronavirus turned the world upside down.

+ We got a good start on garden construction: beds made, plot prepared, gravel walkway laid and some of the soil filled.

My go-to. I start this bread in the machine and finish in loaf pans.
I made pumpkin scones because we had a can in the pantry and they were a big hit. Perfect for breakfast.
My oldest made these mini meatloaves and potatoes for dinner one night. One of our favorites and good for people who don’t really care for traditional meatloaf.
Sourdough bread is back! I went back to my favorite book (affiliate link) on the subject and while I’m still working out a few hydration issues, it’s fun to return to this kind of baking again. Also: I’ve been using the discarded starter to make waffles, so there’s no waste.

2020 GOALS UPDATE

✔ I want to spend time with God everyday. I’m a broken record at this point, but still working through the Bible (as of March 31, I was on day 265/365). I am also about halfway through the 54-Day Novena, which has been such a fruitful and calming part of my days.

✔ I want to keep on, keepin’ on with our debt freedom journey. Most of our extra money went toward our new garden, but we were able to put a tiny bit extra toward the car and the student loan. Every little bit helps.

✔ I want to be a better steward of my home. I’m still using The Confident Mom’s Household Planner and being sick really showed me how much it works. It’s taken me the rest of the month to get caught up and back into a groove.

✔ I want to hand write 52 pieces of mail. I sent out 10 pieces. (Here is the post.) Current total = 34

✔ I want to write 150 blog posts. Like everyone else, the global pandemic had me distracted and anxious and spending waaaay too much time on my phone. I only posted 13 times and hope to increase that number in April. Current total = 47

✔ I want to read 52 books. A strong month for reading! Thank you, insomnia. I read 10 books. (Here is the post.) Current total = 24

✘ I want to take the first steps for postpartum doula certification. Still nothing.

✔ I want to create a family culture of generosity.

March’s $20 Donation // We donated to our community food bank.
March’s 20 Minutes of Time and Talent // .This is really tricky while being quarantined! Mark hosted his men’s group virtually and the kids have worked so hard as we create our garden. As for me, does snail mail count?

Q1 REVIEW

Looking back at the numbers (which, Nerd Alert, is one of my favorite things ever), I’m really pleased with my progress so far: 65% complete for snail mail sent 31% complete for blog posts published 46% complete for books read

With the world as it is right now, I’m wondering if I should shelve the postpartum doula certification for now and focus on other things. Looking forward to keeping the momentum for all the other goals in Q2, because goodness, do I need the distraction!

Happy Wednesday! Looking back at February with my five today:

A QUOTE ON GRATITUDE

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. – Melody Beattie

FEBRUARY HIGHLIGHTS

+ Celebrated Mark and our dog Lucy’s birthdays! + The weather this month seemed to be full of cold rain followed by a few days of warm sunshine that had me itching for spring. + I decided to take a break from reselling as a side gig. I still need to sell off my current inventory and will continue to sell our unwanted items as I declutter, but will no longer be seeking out product for now. My biggest complaint about Poshmark is the amount of time it requires for you to be on your phone and I was starting to resent it! A lot of peace and mental clarity came from this decision, so I know it’s the right thing to do. + Regular bread making resumed. + Lots of guitar playing in the house! M bought himself an electric guitar and is learning so much. + Mark made dietary changes to help with some digestive issues and is feeling a lot better.

+ Lent begins!

Chicken Fried Rice. This recipe satisfied our craving for Chinese takeout. We served it with eggrolls from the freezer.
Pretzel Bread. My favorite bread of the month! Because the bread machine does all of the mixing and rising, the hands-on time is only minutes.
Cinnamon Applesauce Muffins. Thank you to my dear friend Tabitha for this one. I had D makes these on his own and he’s made them about six times! The recipe calls for 1/2 cup of sugar, but we’ve reduced that to almost 1/4 without any complaints.

2020 GOALS UPDATE

✔ I want to spend time with God everyday. I’m still working through the Bible (as of Feb 29, I was on day 234/365) and haven’t missed a day. I also watched the first six segments of The Wild Goose series on the Holy Spirit. I’m really enjoying them and recommend it. It gave me a lot of clarity as I struggled through the roots of my latest bout of stress/anxiety.

✔ I want to keep on, keepin’ on with our debt freedom journey. We used most of our tax refund to pay a big chunk off of our car loan. The end is near!

✔ I want to hand write 52 pieces of mail. I didn’t have anywhere near the numbers I pulled in January, but I’m still on track! I sent out 5 pieces. (Here is the post.) Current total = 24 pieces

✔ I want to write 150 blog posts. I hit a mini writing slump at the beginning of the month, but still managed to post 14 times. Current total = 34

✔ I want to read 52 books. I read 6 books. (Here is the post.) Current total = 14

✘ I want to take the first steps for postpartum doula certification. Still nothing.

✔ I want to create a family culture of generosity. Another successful month with our 20/20 Giving:

February’s $20 Donation // We learned about a holy priest who has recently been diagnosed with ALS. We donated to help him with expenses that are not covered by insurance and for the eventual need of assistance as the disease progresses.
February’s 20 Minutes of Time and Talent // leading a men’s group at church, altar serving, baking cookies for the first Lenten Supper, helping out at a children’s retreat

FEBRUARY 2020 IN NUMBERS

I thought it would be fun (and eye-opening) to keep track of how many loads of laundry I do in a month. In the 29 days of February, I washed 49 loads. INSANE.