Busy, Busy, Busy

Sorry its been so long since the last post. Its been busy around here!

We did a bigger garden this year! I can not wait to have watermelon and cantaloupe from the garden. I even planted GIANT pumpkins for Adyson this year! I can not wait to see the look on her face when those pumpkins get to be 20-30 pounds (they are suppoed to get 200 pounds but I am just hoping for 20-30 pounds)! We also planted the Mammoth Sunflower seeds they grow 8 foot tall, and the flower is about 12 inches across. I can not wait to have sunflower seeds!

Rella checking out the garden!

 

With us being so busy with gardening, setting up the "Big Girl Chicken Coop" and  painting the coop we have been living off of my freezer meal/left overs! To get the freezer meals almost every time I cook I double the recipe. I LOVE having left overs. I shove them in a plastic bag (in individual servings) and toss in the freezer. So on days when I lose track of time there is something HOMEMADE in the freezer. Just pop it in the microwave and you have dinner. It works with almost all meals. This is also great when everyone wants something different! 

Summer is a relaxing time for me! I LOVE summer time. I do not keep such a tight schedule during summer months. I am also more into salads for lunch and dunner during summer. I live in Tennessee, its too hot and humid to cook anything in the evening. No one wants to turn on the oven if they don't have to. 

We found a baby bunny in the garage! 

The "Big Girl Chicken Coop" as Adyson calls it. We think it has a 1960-1970's feel to it. Don't you?

WE HAVE 2 NEW ADDITIONS TO THE APPLEBY FARM!!!!!! 

So we decided that it was time to get kittens. We need them to be barn kitties! So Adyson and Brittany helped pick out the names.... Drum roll please.... Anna & Elsa... Yes from FROZEN. 

Brittany and Anna

Adyson with Elsa

         

Its also that time to make some more Half Homemade Beauty Products. I use the body scrub and facial wipes almost everyday.


BODY SCRUB

1 cup Olive Oil
1 cup Sugar
2 tablespoons used coffee grounds
2-3 drops Essential Oil/Perfume oil -(When using Essential oils or Perfume oils a little goes a LONG way.) I only use these so the my scrub smells pretty! This is optional.
16 oz bottle

Pour/Mix all together in a reusable bottle 16 oz bottle. Shake the bottle very well to mix everything together. I LOVE this recipe. I use it every time I get in the shower, especially in the winter. I went to Hobby Lobby and bought a soap perfume (which means its safe for skin, do not buy a candle perfume!!) to add to my oil, I bought LoveSpell it smells wonderful. I want to try Orange Blossom Essential Oil next! 

 CAUTION- shower may be slippery after using this, make sure you spray a little cleaner/vinegar afterwards!!!! 



FACIAL WIPES/MAKE UP REMOVER WIPES

1 roll BOUNTY paper towels (cut in half)
2 cups DISTILLED water
2-3 drops tea tree oil
2 teaspoon coconut oil *
2 teaspoon of facial soap (do not use the "scrubbing/exfoliating" washes, the "scrubbies" will sit on top of your wipes)

Put your paper towels CUT SIDE down into your container. Mix all your liquids together by stirring. Do not shake them as this will activate the bubbles and you will have a sudsy mess! Microwave 30-45 seconds. *Make sure you melt the coconut oil, so it seeps into the paper towels. Pour over the paper towels starting on the inside cardboard and work your way out. Let it sit 5-10 minutes, then flip and sit for 5-10 minutes. Pull the cardboard out of the middle, and this should start the roll. If it does not then pull out out of the middle. Do not pull out of the sides, it will not work well! 

So as you can see I've been busy the month of May.

What have you accomplished?

Losses and Gains...

When my husband and I started our little farm we decided it was best for the kids to learn the truth about life and death. After all living on a farm there is going to be new life and there is going to be death. We decided to teach our children that everyone and everything goes to Heaven. We teach our children that EVERY life is precious and worthy. We also decided that we would not "sugar coat" things that happen on the farm. It is very important to us that our kids learn that life is NOT "sugar coated".  This has made our children more aware of what goes on to keep a life alive. It takes work and care to tend to all the animals on our farm. All the animals require food, shelter and water. When the animals get sick we try every effort possible to make them better. Sometimes despite all efforts there is still loss. I am proud that my children understand the efforts it takes to run a mini (2 cows, 8 goats, 2 dogs)  farm like ours. I am proud that my children understand where food comes from and the work it takes to get it to the table. I am proud that my children understand once something is gone, its gone.

Over the last week we have had  2 losses and a few gains.

Twilight about 1 week old.....

 






As most of you know Twilight (Adysons little goat) got severely dehydrated for whatever reason. We brought her inside and gave her bottles and electrolytes and she seems fine in the middle of the night.

 

When I checked on her at 4:30 she seemed to have taken a turn for the worst. She passed away about 30 minutes later. Everyone asked how Adyson took the news. She was upset at first and when I explained she went to Heaven to be with Roxanne & Hazel(Papa Jacks dogs ) and our Max in Heaven she seemed fine.  She asked if she could help bury her in the animal cemetery I said sure.


Adyson laid a flower for all the flowers she ate. Adyson also laid an onion for all the onion I fed her.

REST
IN 
PEACE
TWILIGHT










My father in law also had a loss. He lost his beloved Roxanne.

 
 REST IN PEACE ROXANNE

Even though there is loss there is also gain! Drum roll please!!!! 

I'm so excited!!! 

I can't wait!!! 

WE HAVE CHICKENS!!!!! 

 

UNTIL NEXT TIME. 

WHAT DID YOU ACCOMPLISH THIS WEEK?

Tessa checking out Papa Jacks side mirror and steering wheel! 

What a week!

It has been a very cold week here in Tennessee! The good thing is everyone and all the animals have survived the freezing temperatures. I'm very proud of my daughter Brittany and I, for helping each other deal with the animals all week.  We have carried 5 gallon buckets of water down to feed the animals every night,  because the water hose down to the animals has been frozen! 

Adyson has enjoyed the weather too! She got out there on Monday and made snow angels on the deck! She was so proud of herself. 

I'm still working on goal number 2. (So I have found an app "Meal Board" in the App Store. I LOVE this app. It has a pantry, shopping list, recipes, the works!!!! You can also go and get recipes from websites (there is about 15 websites connected to this app) I am going to be using this app a lot in 2014! I am very excited about it. MEAL PLAN BETTER) I'm going to be hitting this one hot and heavy this weekend.  The freeze and the kids being out of school extra time through me all off! 

Glad the temperatures are back to normal! The kids are enjoying not have to bundle up like Eskimos to go to the car! Now time to hit the normal routine!

What did you get accomplished today? 

Winter prepping on a farm!

Tennessee is due to have an extremely cold spell over the next 2 to 3 days.  To prepare for it, we went and got hay for the animals.  Made sure their stalls were clean and put down fresh bedding. Today was also family day so everybody joined in to help. 

 

The cows always try to overpower us when we feed them! 

Poor Brittany trying to hide behind a tree and fool the animals.... It didn't work. 

The water buckets have been emptied cleaned and refilled. The heated water bucket has been plugged up. Hoses have been disconnected from the pipes. All the animals have been fed. The hay has been covered. 

We went yesterday and got groceries. We bought five cases of water, had to get eggs and bread. I made sure I had 10 gallons of water out in the garage. We checked our propane tanks and our grill out on the back deck. 

Now it's time to start on the inside stuff. I'm doing loads of laundry in case my pipes freeze tonight and tomorrow. All the dishes have been washed everybody's taking showers. All in all it's been a very successful Sunday afternoon! 

WHAT DID YOU GET ACCOMPLISHED TODAY? 

Week 36 Can't wait for Fall!

                    It has been an interesting week for sure. Brittany had an off week for football and trying to get back on a regular schedule was almost impossible. I LOVE long weekends but the short "work" week messes me up, big time. I can not wait for the weather to start changing. I can't wait to use my crockpot more. I need to get in a better habit of using my crockpot. I did get an AWESOME craft project done this week. That was my biggest accomplishment this week. 

Oh by the way guess what guys? There are only 108 days until Christmas!!! Can you believe it? Santa is doing it LAST MINUTE THIS YEAR! 


 NO CHEMICALS-  I still have 2 bottles of Lysol bathroom cleaner left then I will be making my own. I can't wait. I have found a wonderful book I shared with you earlier this year Pinterest. I love this book. I can't wait to start trying some recipes. 

HEALTHY EATING-  Brittany is doing great with cooking dinner 2 times a week. I think she is actually starting to enjoy it. Although on Friday we forgot to pull anything out of the freezer for dinner so she cooked Tuna Helper. Not the healthiest but she did good following the directions. 
I think this year I am going to make homemade cocoa for the kids instead of buying that junk stuff from a box. I have been looking for some good homemade recipes, if anyone has any let me know! I have a drinks board on Pinterest

I'm still trying to find some more smoothie recipes, you can see mine on Pinterest

READING-  I still haven't a read book. I'm falling behind. Since They haven FINALLY decided to turn 50 Shade of Grey into a movie and have chosen the cast maybe I will read that. 

My Exercising- I did get up and exercise two times this week, even though it was a short week. The other days I was up and at it in the cow stalls, mucking.... Well someone has to do it. I fell off the ab work out too. So starting Monday I will start back on day 12 of my ab workout. 

 FARMING-  I was comparing pictures of the Girls (Hamburgerella & Steaktesssa) from when we got them in January until now and how much they have grown. The girls can't be more different, its funny. Rella LOVES bananas peelings and all, but Tessa will only eat the banana. The girls wouldn't leave me alone when I went out to muck stalls. I had to block the way of the stall with the muck cart.

Hamburgerella back in January.

Steaktessa & Hamburgerella in January

Hamburgerella in July... She has gotten so big.

CRAFTING-  So you guys have heard me mention the birthday present that I wanted to make for my grandmother. Well over the last week I completed a Halloween Village for Grandma! I am so proud of it. I had so much fun doing this. It was much easier then I ever thought it would be. I bought Christmas houses last year on sale (after Christmas) I spray painted all the people and houses black. Used a touch of chrome spray paint on the tops of the houses to give it a mystical feel. NO ONE BETTER TELL MY GRANDMOTHER!!! I'm mailing it this coming week, so she has plenty of time to get it set up and plenty of time to have it displayed!

My kitchen table for the last week covered in crafting things.

 

The start of  the cemetery & headless horse man!

The town sign, it says "Happy Halloween"

 

 

The village completed. 

Well until next week, enjoy your time with your loved ones. Time goes by so quickly and you forget what is really important in life. We come and go so quickly no one gets to know anyone anymore. Stop and smell the roses. Don't let life pass you by. 

REST IN PEACE KATHERINE APPLEBY