Happy Halloween

Hope your day is sweet and massively spooky!

My little goblins made these lovely pumpkins!

And are sharing some of their pre-Halloween booty with me and Farmer J.

Mother Nature gave me this trick...(after a  beautiful start to the week with sunny and 70 degree weather)

Burrrrrrrr!!!! 32 degrees and extremely windy! 

Halloween Eve on the Farm

I loved seeing this at the boy's school when I was there for their parent/teacher conferences earlier this week.  We feel so blessed to have them love their school. Now... the boys are off school for teacher conferences so they are enjoying some grandparent time! 

 

The farmhouse in October.  Notice one extra large pumpkin on the front porch.  That's all farmer J.  The porch rockers and chairs are tucked away in the house and the barn for the upcoming November weather.  Potential snow this weekend...

 

Are we carving this or making it into a pie???? 

 

The view of the garden from the inside of the barn (where we are keeping the straw and hay dry for the winter).  When you are feeding seven furry friends, you have to be prepared.

 

This tree is still hanging onto its leaves...

 

The garden is ready for a long winter's nap.

 

Eat up sheep...winter is coming and you will need all your reserves. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



After work chores...

From my high heeled work boots to these fabulously, manure covered rubber boots.

 

Our little flock of four legged friends!

 

 

My attempt of a "selfie" with the herd.  Pretty pitiful.

 

Ciaran

 

Padraig

 

Una- Aoife's daughter

 

Jane-Beatrix's daughter

 

Water...

 

and hay! Pretty special dinner!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Getting better...

Diet Mountain Dew Detoxing

Water!!!!!!!! Now I just need to ditch the plastic bottle!  Baby steps...better drinking water from plastic than aspartame from plastic!  

Meet Buddy

Buddy is our loaner ram for this fall breeding season! 

He is a Tunis just like our ewes!  Check out his little horns!

Buddy is on loan to us from the same farm family that loaned us Ace. Buddy is much calmer than our first ram and is easy to have around!

By spring, we could have up to eight lambs if Aoife, Beatrix, Una and Jane all get pregnant and have twins!

Spooky Farm

This is how an anatomy and physiology instructor decorates for Halloween...

So this happened...

Day one of real food eating...utter failure!

Breakfast of champions! And eating in the car on my way to work...

Oops, didn't redeem myself at lunch! But the milk was a better choice than the Diet Coke I wanted to get!  Once again...eating in my car!

Dinner was cottage cheese, mandarin oranges and walnuts!  Some success!

But then this happened...

Chocolate chip cookie dough (aka my greatest weakness). I even gave it up for my first child... (don't worry Pick Pick (and second child)-- your turning out just fine!)

I had to make a dessert for JJ's hot lunch program for tomorrow!!! I did it for the kids!!!!!  But really, besides the highly processed sugar and chocolate chips the rest of the ingredients were good! Check out this "half full" gal!

I'm calling a re-do! 10 day challenge starts tomorrow!!

10 Day "Real Food" Challenge

Anyone want to do this with me????

http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/take-the-10-day-pledge/

I'm going to start tomorrow!

So I'm off to drink my diet Mountain Dew right now!!!!

One thing at a time...

Try and remove one item in your home with a product that is better! 

By "better", I mean
-less chemicals
-fewer ingredients
-no artificial dyes
-no preservatives
-better for our Earth
-safer for you and your family

A few simple examples:

1.) Get rid of your dryer sheets and use wool dryer balls

http://www.norwex.biz/PublicStore/stores/KellyKindschi/AM/product/Fluff-and-Tumble-Dryer-Balls,1126.aspx

2.) Use a natural bar of soap instead of a chemically rich, "antibacterial" liquid hand wash.  (And for fun, try a bar of soap that has goat's milk in it! See below; our lovely landlords gave us this one)

http://shop.beekman1802.com/collections/goat-milk-soap-skin-care

3.) Ditch your nasty mascara-- and try this one!  I personally love this and use it everyday!  It costs more than my previous drugstore brand but it smells a whole LOT better...and who wants gross chemicals right by their beautiful peepers! (And I will say... I do think my lashes are more healthy and longer!)

https://us.nyrorganic.com/shop/corp/area/shop-online/category/mascara/product/1741/nyr-lengthening-mascara-0-23fl-oz/
 
4.)  Ology is available at Walgreens.  We use (and like) their shampoo/conditioner and their pure, lavender castile soap (for the kiddos bath).  

http://www.walgreens.com/topic/brand/ology.jsp

5.) Make-up is another area where I try and be "better".  Especially as these products are being directly absorbed into my skin.  I LOVE this blush!  I can't really afford their products but found their "samples" are pretty generous and a really nice way to try the product.  The second link is how to try their products via sample size.  It's also a nice way to make sure you are getting the right color for your skin!

http://www.vapourbeauty.com/Blush-Bronzers-and-Cheek-Makeup/courtesan-213-Aura-Multi-Use-Blush-%E2%80%93-Classic-99_162-opt.aspx

http://www.vapourbeauty.com/Samples/Vapour-Organic-Beauty-Sample-Kit.asp


I assure you... not everything in our home is "natural", "organic" or completely and totally good for us.  I still drink the occasional diet soda (I know, horrible!), I like getting mani/pedis with my girlfriends and I highlight my hair!  BUT... we are trying to be more mindful, aware and insightful into what we are putting in and on our bodies... as well as what we are using to clean our home.

The goal is not 100% natural.  That would not be a realistic goal for our family.  But we can try and be "better."

Start small... just change ONE thing.  It snowballs from there....

Best of luck and I wish you a healthy body, family and home!

The Wood Pile is back...

So winter must be on its way!

Boot Storage

Here is the problem with boots. I don't want them in the house, or even in the mudroom, because they may get poop on the floor (or on the coat the boy flung on the floor on his way into the house.) However, when the boots are all piled up outside, they get cold and wet. And most of the time, the boots are not underneath the porch overhang so they get really cold and wet.

Tonight, when I went to go do the chicken chores (in the cold, wet weather), I put on my orange, mud boots. I had just put on a new pair of clean, warm socks. (Thanks Mimi for folding our laundry!) Within a second of putting my foot into the boot, it was wet. Wet sock. I hate wet sock. Doing chicken chores in the cold, wet weather is one thing but doing chicken chores in the cold, wet weather with cold, wet feet is entirely worse.

And I am entirely too soft to be a Farmer's wife. I may even be entirely too soft to be a Farmetter's wife.  We're approaching my third winter on the farm. By spring, my skin will be a little thicker, even if just by one millimeter! 

Until then, I'll look on Pinterest for a way to store boots. I have some ideas... 

But maybe a mud room needs to be exactly what it is meant to be: a place for dirty, muddy (and potentially) poopy boots.  And really, what I need to do the most, is accept that I don't need it to be "Pinterest Pretty", I only need my mudroom to be pretty darn functional. I need my boots to be warm enough in the winter and not frozen, wet or "oh my goodness" cold!  

I need to come to terms with the fact that our farm is less "Norman Rockwell" and more "Cold Comfort." 

And the best thing to remember is that poop freezes (less warm/mushy and more cold/crunchy under the boot)! One complete benefit of being a farmer in the Midwest: as the temperature drops, the bottom of the boot stays cleaner.  One lovely benefit of winter!

Rewards of the simple life

"To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter... To be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird's nest or a wildflower in spring- these are some of the rewards of the simple life."

-John Burroughs (1837-1921)

American Naturalist and Essayist 

This quote reminded me so much of my husband and farmette partner! The man who gardens by the moonlight and walks his goats and sheep each night before bed! 

He has spent, the almost 20 years of our time together, teaching me how to notice and appreciate the simple, but lovely, rewards of living in nature. It's finally sinking in...

Beautiful Autumn

I hope you all are enjoying this lovely day! 

Working from home

With my new job, I'll be working from home some days! This is the view from my home office window... A handsome farmer and a handsome goat!

Free Range Child

http://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/free-range-child-raising-children-connected-to-the-earth-and-their-food-film-sneak-peek/#.VCnLeTyT5aY.facebook

Take time to check out this website!

What we are hoping to keep moving towards!

Thanks for the link, Mary! 

Wasp

My alarm clock this morning was a medium sized, brown haired boy...screaming! That's a jolt to the system. 

A wasp sting! 

And this guy was the culprit!

We looked at him under the microscope and saw the stinger that caused JJ pain and woke us all up out of our slumber.

Months ago, I was woken by a wasp sting as well...right on my face!   I didn't realize how much a wasp sting hurt until that moment!

JJ is better...but is claiming he needs to stay home from church because of his injury!

Dada's crepes, some snuggle time on the couch and listening to Dada play guitar helped ease the pain!

Now...I've got to go get two little boys ready for church...God grant me patience!

What We Do On A Cold, Rainy Day

The 1. Make a pie!

Thanks Uncle B for the apples

Of course with help from little fingers!

2. Dig potatoes (raincoat necessary)

Find a caterpillar while digging

Look at those dirty little potato digging digits!

Put this little guy back outside!

Farmer J says homegrown potatoes are much more moist!

Potato and apple peelings will be cooked (via the microwave) and fed to the chickens!

3. Do art (to brighten the day)

4. Eat hearty food grown on the farm

"Lamb ham" with apple and sweet potato mash with toasted walnuts

5. Meet Miss Elsie and eat caramel apples and drink hot chocolate!

6. Nap under a warm quilt 

7. Laundry (finally all caught up post head lice incident)

8. Snuggle

9. Farm chores (still have to get done). Farmer J said the sheep and goats don't mind the rain at all!

10. Eat the warm apple/cherry pie!