An Ending - A Beginning

Oh I really hope March is nicer to me than February has been.  I am feeling the effects of winter dragging on and on; along with all the rain we've had in Georgia.  Mud.  There's plenty of that down on the farm.
It has also been a busy month with life and new farm adventures!
Here is a quick review:

It has been many years since I have had to make and send Valentines to Elementary school.  Bear had fun with my old scrapbook supplies and some brand new construction paper making family cards.  My daughter, Leah, would tell you that I never allowed her to play with my punches.  Funny how different my parenting skills are with 26 years "experience".  ;-)
There have been several additions to our little farm -

A bottle fed calf, we've named ButterCup.  She is a full size jersey.  Did I mention you have to feed her a bottle twice a day?  Um, yeah.
There are also four rabbits...

This is BuckaLoo meeting Max.  BuckaLoo is really BIG!  He also has three girlfriends, one of which we named iHop.  Get it?  Yeah, we are silly sometimes.  We expect BuckaLoo to produce us Easter Cadberry eggs, like on TV.  I'm not getting my hopes up.  However, the man that sold them to us told us a week after that BuckaLoo had broken out of his cage and was found courting the ladies the week before.  So we will probably have baby bunnies here soon.  Wish it would have been in time to sell them for Easter!

Since February is the month of love, and Buckaloo got his lovings, we decided to hook Rosie up with a steady boyfriend.

Sultan is a registered mini jersey bull and he traveled from Colorado just to meet the cow of his dreams.  They plan to settle down right here in Georgia on the farm.  He is full of personality and isn't intimidated one bit by his much taller girlfriend.

Thanks to all the wonderful rain, it's muddy and messy around the barn.  We figured we might as well take our Saturday bath a bit early.  The Farmer tried making up old fashioned lye soap this month.

Since this was our first run, I am waiting to see how well it works.  If it cleans, then I may put together a little tutorial for the rest of you folks.  Cause I know all the snow and rain have left things messy in other parts of the country too.  Time for Spring Cleaning soon!

The Farm has become a clearing house of sorts for animals, seems we have some shared baby chicks in the barn.  We 'babysat' 400 ducks a few nights and now there are 3 dwarf goats looking for another home.

That's it for this month, bring on March. We are ready for spring!

Christmas down on the Farm

Merry Christmas from the farm! 

On the front porch an old sleigh found in the barn, dusted off and holds my fresh cut wreath with a simple bow.

Our Christmas tree is decked again this year with my $20 worth of decorations made four years ago, plus 2 new special ornaments Bear made at PreK, hand-print Rudolphs.  The rustic nature theme fits for the farm house.

Our mantel keeps the nature theme with more large pine cones.  The only new items purchased this year are the 2 tiny wreaths (from the Dollar Tree) and the adorable snowflake garland (Target, $4).   The stockings are not hung here because it's been cold in Georgia and we are using the fireplace.  Nice and cozy.

I've been enjoying my time off from the University.  We finished up our shopping early last week and I've had time to soak in the spirit.  We've had fun here too.  Last week with Bear's little PreK party where we made tiny gingerbread houses (the base is a milk carton! Love that idea.)

Then kicked off our holiday weekend on Saturday morning with a North Pole Breakfast, compliments of Sam, our Elf on the Shelf.

I have spent time in the barn with our little jersey calf, AnnaBelle.

As I sat rubbing her head the other night, I thought of the song, Away in the Manger.  What it must have been like for Mary to give birth to Jesus in a stable.  

 My wish for each of you is to enjoy the next few days surrounded by those that love you.  May your days be Merry and Bright!

Our Farm Life

Isn't she adorable?  Read more about her and our simple farm life over on my other blog:

Southern Sunflower Seeds

Would LOVE to see you there.  :-)

Southern Sunflower Seeds

I'm blogging again!  Because of HUGE life changes and adjustments, I haven't had much time to devote to making over old stuff or snapping photos of my continued Goodwill finds.  Life is busy and we have re-evaluated everything.  The Farmer and I have had long conversations.  We want to get 'back to our roots'.   Not that we have lived far from them.  Life to us, isn't about how much we have or the amount in our bank accounts.  We deeply desire the 'simple life'.  A slower life.  Not really an easier life.  Because I can confess, life on the farm is HARD WORK!  But it's fun and rewarding in ways I'm not sure mere words can describe.

So this is my notification that Design to Shine may have fewer posts (not that I have posted often this year!).  I am however, blogging again at Southern Sunflower Seeds.

My posts will be about the life we are building on our small farm.  Our animals and why we have them, how we care for them and how they are giving back to us.  Along with farm recipes, cooking and menu planning.

I will share some farm makeovers when they happen and things about how we are celebrating the holidays, simply down on the farm life and more.

This blog won't disappear.  I still have the longing to 'shine' my light, just in a different manner that doesn't leave me feeling I have to post, or have a new craft project, junk makeover or Goodwill outfit to share.  I sincerely cherish each and every blogger I've had the joy to read, that has followed or I have gotten to know through Design to Shine.  You will never know how much each one of you have meant to me.  I hope to still check in.  I'm not going anywhere!

So if you are interested, I would love to have you join me while I share our small family farm adventures.  Here is the link, once again:
Southern Sunflower Seeds

Our Summer Suppers

Meal planning keeps me sane.  I can't stand having to constantly run to the grocery store during the week to pick up 4 or 5 items for dinner.  So I usually plan on Saturday's for the week and get the shopping out of the way on the same day.  I love lists and have used them my entire life.  So knowing my list is done and shopping is done really sets me up for a stress free meal time after work during the week.
Even while I have been working like crazy this month, I still planned.  The suppers are just easy breezy...but that is the Summer way of life right???

Here's a few of the ideas from last week and this week's dinner menus:

• Picnics!  We hit our local BBQ stand and head to the Chattahoochee.  I even pack our own bowls to share the stew.   
• Tuna Salad (add boiled eggs and homemade sweet pickles).  Serve as a sandwich or with crackers and fruit.
• Crock pot meals (so we aren't heating up the kitchen and supper is done when I get home from work!) We tried a new cubed steak in the crock pot with gravy.  It was pretty good served up with mashed taters, English peas and frozen buttermilk biscuits.   Another crock pot meal is 'baked' potatoes.  We recently cooked up Field peas all day in the crock pot; added cornbread and called it Yummy!  The next day we ate leftover peas and I cooked up some mac n cheese to stretch the meal out one more night.
• Grilling out - Hot dogs, chicken and hamburgers with baked beans and chips or fries as sides.
• Breakfast - Pancakes with fruit, biscuits and scrambled eggs - whatever you love for breakfast, we will eat it for supper.  
• Sandwiches  - variety:  Deli meat on sub rolls, tomato sliced, banana, pbj - eaters choice and whatever we have in the frig.
• Salads - with tons of toppings: ham, bacon bits, croutons, cheese, boiled eggs.
• Hot Meals - We usually save the hot meals for Sunday in the Summer, like last weekend where we cooked up a huge mess of Salmon patties, 5 lbs of creamed taters, a pan of homemade from scratch biscuits and English peas. We invited the family down for swimming and to help us polish off the fixings.
• Garden Fresh - Veggies, cantaloupe and watermelon.  We really didn't plan a garden this year; so we are picking up items at the Farmer's Market or if we are real lucky, leftover's from the neighbors garden pickings.  However, we did grow a few of these

along with wild watermelons and cantaloupe from last year's seeds left in the ground! 

What do your Summer meals look like? Garden pickings...Grilling outdoors...Same ole Same ole rotating meals? 

My Week in Photos {InstaFriday}

Each Friday I share my InstaGram iPhone photos.  Here's a peek into what's going on down on the Farm:

Have you ever seen a tiny Quail egg?  Me either until we picked up 100 of them this past Saturday.  We have them in the incubator and should have itty bitty bitties in about 21 or so days.  When we drove up to the seller's farm, we were greeted by a beautiful blue

peacock.  Made us miss when we had them on the farm.  He followed us around like a puppy.

I'm hooked on this.  It totally qualifies for dinner right?

Gray beard and snow ball in bloom.  We are still enjoying beautiful warm weather!

Sometimes you just gotta have fast food.  My 'picnic' lunch in my car this week at work.

DQ in case you are wondering and I skipped ice cream. :(

Amazing sunset, breakfast for dinner, sipping coffee on the porch.  Priceless.

Sometimes I sneak into a retail store to see current trends to look for while thrift shopping.  These caught my eye and I am really wanting one.  BAD.

Our country church had their egg hunt Wednesday evening because next week is spring break for the area schools.  Bear enjoyed it and found a bucket full!

Painted toes, thrifted sandals, 80 degrees this week.  I think we skipped Spring all together and are moving right into summer.

For those that have followed my photos of the first turkey we raised (we now have 3 more chicks that are a week old).  Here he is via InstaGram in mid-January.

He is really growing!  We call him 'Little Tom', even though I am not sure yet if he is a Tom or a Hen.  Ha!  I snapped this one with my regular camera, but I just had to share.  Not sure if I will get the opportunity to snap him with my phone.

He now lives in the barn with the chickens.  

My user name on InstaGram is Sherri9, if you would like to follow along in the adventure. 

Hope you have enjoyed this week in review via photos!  I love spring with it's babies and blooms.  Any one want baby quails in a few weeks???  I'm still not sure what the Farmer plans to do with 100 of them!

Budget Valentine's Dates

It's coming.  Ya know that romantic love filled holiday that is way over commercialized.  I heard on the radio last week that the 'average' person will spend $125 on Valentine's gifts. Seriously?!?! I don't need fancy expensive gifts.  Come on, I'm the gal that loves a Goodwill wardrobe!  Gimme a break, $125 is just a budget buster.  So here are a few frugal, low cost Valentine date ideas.  So you can't go out?  Let's stay in and be lovey dovey.

Fireside movie - Redbox is your friend!  Pick up a movie, pop some popcorn, make your favorite dessert, wine - if you drink it.  Then toss a comfy blanket and pillows on the living room floor.  Or curl up on the sofa together.  If you have little one's, put them to bed a bit early.  ;-)

Source
Candlelit bath or hot tub - Grab that iPod or an old radio, light some candles, fix your favorite drink and go for a soak.

Source

Romantic dinner - Gather things from around the house, lots of candles and set a pretty candlelit table for two.  You can pick up something on the way home (pizza even), pop something in the crock pot or whip up a simple meal.  Bake up a special dessert!  It's not about the food.  A quiet meal for two, lit by candles, sharing a great conversation.  How often does that happen with little ones?

Maybe you have wrangled the teenager into babysitting or are empty nesters...here are a few cheap inexpensive date night ideas without the crush of waiting in long lines at the typical restaurants.

Coffee date - Even if there isn't a Starbucks nearby, most towns have quaint little coffee shops these days.  Treat yourselves to a fancy coffee drink.  (This is also a good 'stay in' date - coffee and dessert).

 Library - Visit your local library.  It's Free!  Check out a romance novel to read aloud together.

Tourist - Be a tourist in your own town.  Walk downtown.  Pack a picnic for a local park.  Take pictures of all the fun places.  Hold hands.

Fast food candle-lit dinner - Grab some candles at home and head out for a dinner date.  Who says it has to be an expensive dinner?  Dress up and take candles to your local fast food joint or Waffle House!  I heard one couple did this and had the best conversations because of it.  Also, check your local paper.  I've also heard several fast food places go all out on Valentine's.  One person told me about a Chick-fil-a that has candle-lit dinners and servers; only on Valentine's.

Valentine's Day doesn't have to be a budget buster.  I would much rather spend a bit of quality time together.  With a little creativity it could turn into one of those nights you can't stop talking about without breaking the bank.

Share your favorite cheap date night idea!  I'd love to hear them.

Picture My Life via InstaFriday

Welcome to another week in my life via Instagram photos.  

Kinda like a sneak peek into my world via photos I snap throughout the week.  Simple things; that really don't make a blog post by themselves. A way to share a bit more of me with you, my wonderful readers.

Days and days of rain, fog and gloomy weather lately here in Georgia.  One afternoon riding home I stopped to snap this photo at the lake down the road.  It ain't no 'street' ...it's barely paved.  It once was dirt. This is the country.  

Friday, during my lunch hour at work; I got a much needed haircut.  I said this on my 'What I Wore' post on Wednesday; but dang I look thinner after a haircut!

Saturday night, we treated ourselves to dinner out.  Nothing fancy, but at least I didn't cook it!  Shane's Rib Shack.  LOVE the bbq sandwiches on Texas toast.  On the way home we stopped at a newly opened place to pick up Sunday breakfast....

I prefer Krispy Kreme; the nearest one of those is about 45 minutes...so a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.  These were SUPER gooey Fresh Yummy.
I make a menu plan every week for several reasons.  I've shared those before in my posts.  One of the reasons I do it is to hopefully save money while grocery shopping.  I had a small list Sunday, when I headed out to buy what we needed to eat for the week.  The only non-food items I purchased was razors and dish washing detergent.  This was my buggy (or as some call it, shopping cart).

$75!  I can still see the floor through the wire.  Ugh.

I love this little boy.  My Bear.  He wasn't smiling the night he lost his cartoon time, due to really bad behavior at 'school' (day care) one day this week.  Can you tell this photo was made BEFORE the 'incident' occurred?  ha!

Over the hill, there is an old dairy.  I love it's weathered silos.

I started rearranging the mantel.  Touches of red for Valentine's.

Although it ended up totally different.  You can see it here.

This painting hangs in our living room.  We purchased it at a festival by a local artist.  

One of my loves is barns.  Guess it's a good thing I'm a country girl!

The little Turkey chick is growing and getting feathers.  Why yes that IS a mirror in there with him.
He likes looking at himself and it keeps him from being lonely.  No we don't know if it's a girl or boy yet, we just tend to refer to it as a him.

How was your week?  What filled it?

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