Awaiting Spring

Even as I watch the snow gently falling outside my window, I am contemplating spring.  In fact, the last couple of years, I've started to wonder whether I'm seriously afflicted with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder).  I say this in jest (mostly), but I did add a Vitamin D supplement to my vitamin regimen just in case.  I, like Girl 1 who was huddled up next to me whimpering this morning as we waited for the school bus in the blustery wind, just don't like to be cold.  I would always choose to be hot and sweaty rather than chilled to the bone.  So, temperatures alone would be enough to have me looking forward to spring, but this year, there's so much else going on here, too.

For example, this is Lydia.  She doesn't live here yet, but if all goes well, she will become a member of our household sometime in April.   She is a Nubian dairy goat.  She will kid in April, and both she and her kid will call our blossoming homestead home.  I am super excited about all the milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, soap, etc. that I will be able to make with the milk she and Smoochie will provide.

This is Smoochie.  This cutie and her adorable, silver ears will come along with Lydia.  Though she is not a registered Nubian, she will provide us additional milk and serve to keep Lydia and her kid company in their new surroundings.  Our girls are currently on a great Nubian farm in Missouri.  We plan to go meet them and see their farm sometime in February.  John has the goat pen and milking shed complete now in the backyard. Sorry, I don't have any pics of this yet, and now that it's snowing I don't think I'll trudge out to take any (due to my aforementioned distaste for the extreme cold).

Also in the works, we will be attempting a new strategy for our backyard garden this year.  Square Foot Gardening is a new method I read about this fall and am excited to try.  Also, after reading an article about the importance of using seeds generated close to home, I placed my seed order with Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds based in Missouri and enjoyed their catalog more than is probably natural.  The photos of the exotic varieties were breathtaking (over the top?).

Oh, and this is Cocoa Puff.  She is our newest addition.  She was a rescue from the local pet store where she was being housed in the "buffet cart" and intended as dinner for a giant snake.  Yikes!  While I really like the name the kids picked out, John had proposed that we name her Fertilizer Factory.  She is, after all, intended to do more for us than just provide super-soft snuggles.  Based on my reading, rabbit poo is just about the best thing ever for a garden.  Because it is so mild, it can be added directly to soil as fertilizer, whereas our chicken droppings have to compost for awhile before being garden-ready.  So, while she is a great pet, she is also working hard for us.  Anytime now, the cats are probably going to begin to question their place in our family.  After all, since they're not feeding us, they're not really pulling their weight in quite the way the chickens and rabbit are. :) 

New Uses for Old Things

"If you have ever wondered how to grow vegetables in an apartment, build a chicken coop, homebrew beer, or make you own soap from scratch -- this book is for you.  The essential guide to becoming a producer instead of a consumer, Making It is full of simple, ingenius projects for your home, your garden, and even your fire escape."  -- from the back cover of this amazing book by Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen who operate a "1/12 acre farm in the heart of Los Angeles."

I am loving this book!  It's full of natural alternatives to store-bought items.  Obviously, I'm still handicapped following my surgery, so I can't do any hard-core experimentation right now, but we've already tried out 3 alternatives with great results. 

1.  Dry shampoo -- If you haven't already discovered dry shampoo, you're really missing out, and I'm so glad to be the one to clue you in.  The idea behind dry shampoo is that it absorbs hair oils allowing you to go longer between washing.  If you know much about caring for hair, you know that washing (and drying) and heat styling your hair are some of the worst things you can do for it, so a dry shampoo allows you to do those things less often.  I usually buy my dry shampoo from Sally's for about $6 a can.  When my hair was blonde, I could get away with baby powder as an alternative, but now that I'm wearing my hair darker, baby powder leaves a grayish residue -- not a look I'm going for.  This book presents brunettes with a great option:  unsweetened cocoa powder!  Find it on the baking aisle.  I've tried it and am a believer.  I'm thinking I'll get a pepper shaker to put it in for easy application.

2. Zit cream.  I've become increasingly weirded out about putting creams on open sores on my body when the cream's packaging has a big warning label complete with the poison control hotline number to be dialed in case of ingestion.  Natural alternatives are preferable . . . as long as they really do work.  So, since I still have the problem skin of a teenager, I quickly had opportunity to try out honey as a zit cream.  True to the book's claim, when applied directly to the pimple before bedtime, I awoke to find the redness gone and the swelling reduced.  If you have long hair, you should probably tie your hair back before bed; otherwise you may find it matted with honey when you wake.  One cool advantage to using honey as a zit cream:  once you've applied, just lick your finger ;)  While that does sound kinda gross, it's nice to know that I could do that if I wanted to (it's probably best not to try it with my OXY 10). 

3.  Try olive oil as a shaving cream.  John tried this out last night and said it worked great.  Because the oil is natural, it doesn't clog pores and should be fine to use even on acne-prone skin.  Also, the lower-grade olive oil works just as well as extra virgin as long as it's 100% olive oil, so you can save a buck there.  The book suggested adding some scented essential oil to mask the smell of the olive oil if it bothers you.  I have an orange oil that I will probably try because it seems more masculine than the rose or lavender oil I usually use to scent my homemade cleaning supplies.  I haven't yet had opportunity to use this shaving cream because of my surgery.  I'm not supposed to bend at the waist at an angle less than 90 degreees, which means I'm not supposed to do things like put on my own shoes or shave my legs.  It means that I feel like the epitome of lazy when, like the other day, I dropped a hairbrush on the floor, looked at it lying there, shrugged my shoulders, and crutched away, leaving it just lying there (just like I would fuss at the girls for doing). 

Is your interest piqued?  Pick up a copy of the book.  These are just a few of the great ideas contained there!

Our Latest Project

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, John and Girl 1 worked on a project to get us ready for next spring:  a goat milking stanchion.  See below . . .

This little stand, hand-crafted by John, is designed for a milking goat to stand on while being milked.  Her head goes through the boards at the front where (on the side you can't see in this photo) a feeder is attached so that she can munch while being held securely in place for her milking. 

John has already begun work on the goat shelter and pen (photos soon).  We are hoping to get 1 or 2 milking does and probably a kid, too (because they're just so dad-gum cute!) in the early spring.  We're excited about all the things we can do with the milk, which will range from drinking it (obviously) and feeding it to other animals, to making products such as cheese, yogurt, butter, and soap.  Since I am mostly bed-bound right now, I've made myself a part of the project by reading.  I've read The Backyard Homestead, which has a great section on raising goats (and on a bazillion other amazing topics) and Milk Soapmaking, which is apparently the best book out there on the subject.  Yep, lots of exciting things are happening around here!

Storage Problem Solved

The problem:  With 5 busy people in this house and all their school, dance, soccer, AWANA, bike, and cold weather gear, we were having trouble finding WHAT we needed WHEN we needed it.  And don't even get me started on shoes!

So, this pic is what we started with.  This armoire is actually a TV cabinet that we had been using as random storage.  (We sold it for $50 to a FaceBook friend.  That basically covered the entire cost of the project.)  The baskets below are holding the kids' shoes.  The doorway on the left leads to the garage, so this is a highly trafficked area and  one that was not working as hard for us as it could.  It was time for a redesign.

Below is where we were attempting to hang the myriad things we need to be able to grab on our way out the door.  To say that it is overcrowded is a gross understatement.

Solution:  Now, here is the solution I came up with for that wall.  The only thing that stayed was the mirror.  Everything else is new (well, not really "new," just repurposed).

And, here it is once we moved all our gear in.

Here's what I did.  I started with three stacking bookshelves that we already had and lined them up side by side to create a bench.  The collapsible fabric storage cubes hold the kids' shoes.  They each get two cubes and a small space for boots between their cubes.  Lots of stores have these cubes, but I got mine at Home Depot.  I like them because they have lots of color options and have the little pockets that allow you to label the contents of each box. 

To create the seat cushion on the bench, I repurposed an old closet door that we had in the garage, topped it with upholstery batting, and stapled on the fabric (which I already had).  Also in this picture is the 8 ft. piece of pine I bought to stain and use for the long row of knobs.  We bought knobs from IKEA (cheap) and mounted them to the board to create 15 hangers.

For the boot drying rack, I topped a rimmed baking sheet with a cooling rack.  It fit perfectly! Also, it took up the space at the end of the bench that was leftover once I had my cushion on.

For the top level of storage, we cut and painted some IKEA shelving that used to be in the playroom and added more Home Depot storage boxes. 

All told, this was a super-cheap project that allowed us to repurpose a lot of things we already had on hand and left us with a much more usable space.  And the "grab your shoes, backpack, and umbrella" part of our morning went a lot more smoothly today than it has tended to in the past.  :)

We've Got Chickens!

We've been thinking for awhile about adding chickens to our home.  We've read countless articles and a few books on the topic and finally decided that the best way to figure this out was just to dive in.  We were able to find a local guy who builds these great chicken tractors.  John did do some work on it to improve its design a bit. He added the white-framed door in the chicken wire, which allows us access to the girls while they are out of the house.  Also, he added the white door at the entrance to the house.  It's on a pulley so that we can open and close it from the outside.  Not pictured, on the back of the house are two nesting boxes that we can access from outside.  So far, it seems to be working great.  We like the idea of the tractor because it is on wheels and can be moved to fresh ground every day or so, so that the hens always have fresh ground to peck and fertilize. 

We bought our 8 hens from a local lady who got them as chicks in the spring.  They've been free-range on her farm since then.  They should be approaching laying age, so we are eagerly awaiting our first eggs!

We have 8 hens in all, 2 each of 4 different breeds.  The red one above is a Rhode Island Red.

The grayish hen on the left is an Araucana (she will lay green eggs).  The black one is an Australorp.  Her feathers have a blue sheen to them in the sun that is really very pretty.

This is a Plymouth / Barred Rock.  It is definitely my favorite.  I think they look like the quintessential chicken.

We have really enjoyed getting to know the girls.  With all their pecking and scratching and roosting and eating and dust bathing, they are definitely entertaining to watch.  They are actually a lot quieter than I expected them to be.  The only time they've really gotten to clucking was when Aslan (our outdoor cat) was examining the coop.  The kids are really enjoying the new additions.  They're eager to put on their rubber boots in the morning and let the girls out of the house.  We are definitely enjoying this new endeavor!

I Make Home.

I make home.


I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to stay home this year. And, because my surgery scheduled for October 10th didn’t happen, I am currently enjoying the gift of time I didn’t think I’d have on my feet.

One of the things I’ve done a lot of is reading. Little Boy and I attend the children’s time at the library every week, and I’ve begun a bit of a love affair with the library. I’ve been reading a lot of things about old homemaking crafts, gardening, and homesteading. I really enjoyed the book Radical Homemakers, and I’m trying to make my own, more natural versions of lots of household things (i.e. body soap, laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent, bread, juice).

We are making plans to do gardening differently this coming year and are working toward having some laying chickens in the backyard come spring. I am really enjoying getting my hands dirty. I love to make things, especially when making them means that I am avoiding being a consumer, doing something green, or providing a better product for my family. I am loving the idea of making our home as self-sufficient as possible, using a lot of the old homestead traditions.

While I am enjoying these various projects, relishing a slower pace, and loving my time with my little man, I do admit I’ve had a bit of an identity crisis. “What do you do?’ It’s a question I don’t get asked a lot around here, but John and I recently attended our college reunion, and it was the first time I stumbled over my answer. For the past 10 years, my I’m-a-teacher answer has been at the ready. Now, what do I do? It’s certainly not nothing. “I stay home.” Well, not most days. “I’m a homemaker.” It sounds like such a label, that brings with it so many other stereotypes. Today, when John popped in to say hello at lunch, he smelled the baking bread and said, “It smells like home in here.” I like it. That means I’m doing my job today. So, what is my job? “I make home.” I like that answer. It’s active. And I am active. I actively nurture Little Boy; I actively create things to support our family; I actively make a home that’s warm and nice to return to for the three of our brood who are away during the day.

Driftwood Centerpiece

Yesterday, I discovered Pinterest.com.  I can already tell that it will be a love/hate relationship.  Today, it was love.  I found inspiration and went with it.  Someone had pinned a table centerpiece that was a railroad tie with holes drilled to hold tealight candles.  It brought to mind the old piece of driftwood that I found along the White River a few years back on one of John and I's anniversary trips to the cabin.  For whatever reason (I think it's its unique shape), when I saw this piece of wood along the bank of the river, I loved it.  I cleaned it up, brought it home with us, and have had it sitting on the back porch ever since.  Today, it was promoted from backportch ornament to kitchen table centerpiece.  Here's what I did . . .

This 1.5" drill bit is the perfect size to fit tealight candles.

I decided which way I wanted to orient the wood on the table and drilled holes in the wood, being sure to keep the drill perpendicular to the floor.

See how perfectly the candle fits!

I put in a total of 7 holes.

Then, I brought it in to the table!  It may not be traditional decor, and it may not stay on the table forever, but I think it's beautiful!  Plus, it was super easy and didn't cost me a penny. I suspect that not all of the Pinterest-inspired crafts in my future will be the same.  That's where the hate part of the love/hate relationship will come in.  :)