• Homestead Prairie Farm

    July 11, 2019

    Homestead Prairie Farm is a beautiful 1860s farmhouse in central Illinois. They open the home up for free tours from June- October. They also host special events during the year.

    The house is a part of the Rock Springs Conservation Area, which is one of our favorite places to visit. Next to the house is a huge vegetable garden that is kept using practices from the 1860s. It is so fascinating to see and walk through.

    The parlor was a place that only adults were allowed in. The wood stove is so beautiful.

    I love the simplicity of all of the bedrooms. The corn husk dolls make me think of Laura Ingalls Wilder.

    My favorite room was the kitchen. I’m fascinated by heritage cooking and the way things were done in the past. We’ve lost a lot of the art of cooking.

    Then, there is the garden. I could have wandered through here for hours.

    If you are ever in the area, you should definitely stop by. There is so much to do in the park that you won’t get bored!

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  • Farmhouse Update- Week 13

    July 9, 2019

    I mentioned in yesterday’s post that we painted quite a bit. Before I show any of that, look at the difference primer made in the kitchen!!!

    It is so bright and I love it!! Here is a before.

    The kitchen will be getting pained the color-matched Shiplap color that the rest of the main rooms are getting. We got the wall behind this picture painted. The drawers are all getting re-glued so that they are sturdy for us.

    We painted the school room and master bedroom. The air is not on right now, and our heat index has been 100+ degrees. Surprisingly, it wasn’t unbearable inside with the windows open and fans on.

    The upstairs bathroom has been primed and is ready for paint as well. We have to pick paint colors for the two full bathrooms, and the girls’ rooms. Chloe and Addi like this color for their room. I love it, too. Harper’s bedroom is currently navy blue, and I really love it. But, wonder if we should do something different.

    The upstairs floors are possibly going to be sanded down and stained, which will be so pretty. The carpet in the school room will be torn up and new put down. The baseboards and trim will all go back on when we are done painting. The farmer has said that he’s close to helping us paint. He has been so incredibly kind. He even offered an extra vehicle to us if we needed it. I was fighting back tears while thanking him for that unnecessary kindness.

    Scott was saying how he is so thankful for the people that come into your life and you can honestly say that you are a better person for knowing them. That is how the owners of this beautiful home have been. We were strangers to them, and they have treated us with so much kindness and generosity. Lord, help me to be that kind of person for others.

    The crops are growing pretty well despite the intense amount of rain we’ve had this season. There are soybeans planted all around the house, and corn in a field across the T in the road. It’s so amazing to see the way it all grows. And, of course, I can’t leave you without another picture of this beauty. I still pinch myself…

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  • Loud

    July 8, 2019

    Hi, friends!

    It’s been quiet here in blog land because life has been incredibly LOUD. Almost two weeks ago, things started falling apart. Literally. Our van window fell apart. The window itself was fine, but the mechanism that rolls it up and down broke. The timing was not ideal because we kept getting random downpours. Something in the rear axel was also broken and had to be repaired.

    If you don’t know, we are a one-car family. We have to take really good care of our one car. The day after the repairs were finished, we were driving to see my mom-in-law and return her car. She let us borrow hers so that we didn’t have to rent a vehicle, which has been such a blessing. I was driving our van, and right when we got into her town the van quit. It would move in reverse, but the moment you put it in drive it jerked, puttered, and died.

    Of course it died 30 miles away from home. We left it parked in a CVS parking lot, and I cried. The next day, a trailer was rented and my dad towed it to the place that had worked on it before. Fast forward to Monday after they look at it, and the whole transmission needs replaced. We still owe on this van. A USED transmission is thousands of dollars.

    Let’s just say I have cried a LOT. We have been in the situation where we had to eat PB&J sandwiches for days while waiting for a paycheck. We have moved in with family because of job loss. We have hit really low points, but nothing has felt as hopeless as this situation. We either put thousands into a van that’s not worth all that much anymore, or we buy a new van and still pay for the old dead one. Go ahead and look at the cost of a used minivan..

    We are so incredibly frustrated. We have been working really hard to get out of debt. We just took on MORE.. We are getting our old van fixed because it’s really the only option. We are also praying that since it’s a remanufactured transmission, this van will last for many more years for us. (Side note: if you live in Oklahoma DO NOT buy from this dealership. They sold us a terrible car. They won’t even return calls and just pass us around.)

    My mother-in-law had the kids over for a slumber party this past weekend and took them to a play. She graciously picked them up early and allowed us to finally get the car situation squared away. We were also able to go to the farmhouse and paint several rooms, get Harper a birthday present, and just get a little time to breath. Scott and I are passing ships most days, so figuring out a plan is not the easiest. We had been texting back and forth and leaving notes for each other. We’re glad to have a plan, but still so very frustrated and overwhelmed. We are clinging to God’s promises and what we KNOW is true, even when it doesn’t feel that way.

    “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

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  • Farmhouse Update- Week 12

    July 1, 2019

    Not much has changed in the house. We need to get in there and paint so that we can move on to putting things back together. It looks about the same as last time.

    Our van broke down again on Friday, so we spent most of our Friday evening and Saturday figuring out how to get it towed back to town. Of course it broken down 30 miles away from home. Now, we are just stressing about what could be wrong and how much it’s going to cost. We already sunk a lot into it on Thursday.

    Life has just been one hard and frustrating thing after another for the past several years. We are honestly weary and worn out. I don’t think we can take much more of it. Every time things start to look up a little, something else gets thrown our way. You know when you are swimming and swimming and eventually you just get exhausted and feel like you couldn’t possibly swim anymore? That is where we are.

    So, we stopped by the farmhouse and watched the sun set. The girls caught lightning bugs. It looked like glitter from all of them.

    I’ll just share some pretty pictures from Friday evening since the rest of the house hasn’t changed much. With the holiday weekend, we are hoping to get a lot of painting done and hopefully things will move along quickly after that.

    I know I keep saying it, but this place is so calming. It is quiet and still, and is a place where my mind can rest.

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  • Kids in the Kitchen- Part II

    June 26, 2019

    Monday was Addi’s turn in the kitchen. She picked to make bowtie noodles from scratch. The cookbook we used is from Usborne and called Start to Cook. It has tons of great information to help kids learn their way around the kitchen. I can’t recommend it enough!

    I rolled the pasta dough out and she did the cutting and shaping of the noodles. It was SO cute. We had some teeny tiny bowties and some super huge bowties.

    For the sauce, we adapted a Pesto cream sauce recipe from The Prairie Homestead Cookbook. I basically made the recipe (doubled) without pesto. It was delicious and really hit the spot.

    I know I said it before, but it is SO fun to see the look of pride on the kids’ faces when they have finished a meal. It has also made them more willing to try things that they may not typically eat. Am I the only one with kids that don’t like sauce on their noodles?

    This meal was a lot of work, but the best meals are. Addi has decided she wants it to be her meal for the foreseeable future so that she can get really good at kneading the dough.

    Harper keeps insisting on cupcakes for her meal.. so I’m not sure what we’re gonna do with her. haha!

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  • Farmhouse Update- Week 11

    June 25, 2019

    I don’t have any interior pictures this week. I spent the weekend laying in bed resting as much as possible. My husband is the best for holding down the fort.

    The farmer called Scott on Sunday and said that he is about 99% done with the drywall. That means paint is next! Woohoo!! He said that he has some leftover paint from their house that we can use in the bathrooms if we’d like to. We are all about saving money, so I’m sure we will take him up on the offer.

    Another project is the floors! The farmer’s brother has a huge sander, so we are going to try to sand the upstairs floors and refinish them. If the wood doesn’t look great, then we will put carpet down. It’s going to be beautiful if we can get them stained! There will also be new carpet down in the homeschool room. How fun would this be on the stairs instead of the 60s carpet?

    The half bathroom off the kitchen is going to get new flooring since it had to be re-done. He is going to wait on putting the bathroom back together until we move our washer and dryer in.

    Depending on how long the floor work takes, it could be pretty soon that we are moving in. I am still praying that it is before we start school. It’s so stressful to be getting settled into a home while starting school. Been there, done that. haha!

    While I was laying around this weekend, I was browsing for things that I’d love and thought I would share. It’s fun to dream and drool. My interior design classes were my FAVORITE when I was in college. I wish I had stuck with that degree.

    ~This rug is beautiful! Our living room could use a bigger rug so it looks more balanced. How can I partner with Wayfair? (This is my current rug that I love, but is too small.)
    ~I really love this wall hanging. It’s such a fun texture.
    ~This pillow is so cute. I’m a big fan of textures.
    ~Here is a great priced basic welcome mat ($13 and free shipping). This would be cute layered over this rug.
    ~I really want to get some of these rechargable lights to put under the cabinets in the kitchen.
    ~I used a little of my amazon credit to buy these. I saw something about finding small ways to bring joy to your home. There are rainbows all over my house!

    Totally unrelated, but because sharing is caring– here’s a really good deal on goldfish.

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  • Kids in the Kitchen

    June 21, 2019

    All of my kids love helping in the kitchen. I love allowing them to help whenever possible. My mom used to have us plan and cook a meal each week when we were younger. She taught me a lot of skills, and I’m so grateful for that.

    I figured that the big girls were old enough to start doing more than just measuring and pouring ingredients in the mixer. I asked if they’d like to plan a meal. I’m not home for dinner as often with my work schedule, so they will be switching weeks. This week, Chloe chose to do spaghetti. She also wanted garlic bread, strawberries, apples, and celery on the side.

    My mom taught me to make sauce from scratch. I’m not sure why homemade spaghetti sauce is always so mind blowing to people, but it is. haha! I set the ingredients out for Chloe and told her what each of them was. Aside from carrying the heavy pot for noodles and measuring how much sugar went into the sauce, I was hands off. Chloe prepared all of it with a little guidance! She put the seasonings in (I don’t measure that..) and opened the cans of tomato sauce. I was really proud.

    It was a lot of fun to have one-on-one time with her like this. She wanted to smell every spice. she’s always been really curious. Giving her opportunities to explore is always beneficial for her.

    Next week, Addi chose to do bowtie noodles from scratch! We are going to make homemade Alfredo sauce to go with them. My mouth is already watering.

    There are so many people who say that they don’t know how to cook. I don’t want my kids to grow up saying that. I want them to feel confident in the kitchen and enjoy cooking.

    Also, I feel like I need to say that I would absolutely do this if I had boys as well. EVERYONE should know how to cook. I really want to encourage you to get your kids in the kitchen with you. I think you’ll be surprised at how much they love it.

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  • How We Fight Sickness Naturally

    June 20, 2019

    I had to call in sick to work today. I’m really upset about it. I woke up with a fever and feeling miserable. Harper wondered into our room after Scott left for work– also running a fever. Two hours later Addi woke up and was ghost white. She felt like she was going to be sick.

    Because I’m a mom, I don’t get to just lay around and rest. I keep sitting and taking breaks in between dishes, laundry, cooking, etc. because I’m really struggling to breathe. I snapped a quick picture of all of my arsenal that I pull out when I’m sick. Most of it also gets used for the kids. I figured I’d share while I’m sitting and eating.

    First of all, I’ll share what’s not pictured–
    I took a detox bath to help with the body aches. I used lavender epsom salts and Indian healing clay in the bath tub. It’s important to drink a lot of water when you do any sort of detox. I also take a multivitamin every day along with prebiotics and probiotics.

    Amazing Grass Green Superfood– these effervescent tablets dissolve in water. It’s an easy way to pack in more greens and nutrients to help fight off illness.

    Nuun Hydration– These are a REALLY good alternative to gatorade. It’s not full of garbage ingredients. Liquid IV is another one I really love. It really helps with hydration.

    Sambucol elderberry syrup— this is our go-to when we feel anything coming on. All of the kids take this without any issues. Some of them don’t love the sugar free kind. There are also gummies if your kiddos would prefer those.

    Oscillococcinum– All of us use this also. It’s good for kids ages 2 and up. I haven’t used this a ton (thanks to not being sick very often anymore), but so far I’m a fan. It is supposed to help with aches, fever, chills, and fatigue. Between the detox bath and this, I’m feeling quite a bit better than I was this morning. And, that is without tylenol or motrin!

    Congaplex– This is the only thing that only I do. This is something that you can take when you feel something coming on. I felt off all week, and am kicking myself for not taking this right away. This help support your immune system.

    Essential Oils– Thieves oil is ALWAYS my go-to for supporting our immune systems. I have it diffusing in every single room right now. I also have a roller bottle of thieves, oregano, and lemon that we roll on our feet and spines. Tummygize is awesome for little upset tummies. Addi put some on her belly this morning, and she started feeling much better. Snifflease is another favorite. It helps unclog stuffy noses and support their respiratory systems. The girls know that these oils help and will ask for specific things.

    Obviously, I do take and give fever reducers if they are needed. But, I always try to support our bodies the way that God made them as often as possible.

    What are some tricks that you keep up your sleeve? Is there anything that I am missing?

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  • Simple Pleasures

    June 19, 2019

    My kids, y’all. They are driving me completely insane today. I have broken up so many fights and listened to nothing but whining. Oh, but I can’t leave out the fact that one of my children hates me because I was trying to keep her from starting a fire on her bed.

    Cool.

    It’s cool.

    I thought I would share some simple things that are making me happy.. you know.. instead of letting my brain actually explode!

    Iced coffee in a mason jar. There’s something about drinking out of a mason jar that makes me so happy. I also bought a few Mason Bar Company lids years ago, and love them. I don’t remember them being as expensive back then, but they’ve lasted 5+ years, so I guess it’s worth it! You don’t need a fancy lid. Just drink out of a jar.

    Scentbird perfumes- I really only wear perfume on Sundays or special occasions. It’s been fun to test out different high end perfumes and smell really lovely for date night. (They also have men’s cologne.) My favorite has been “Get a Room”. I really hate perfume names. haha! Do you wear perfume or body spray? I prefer perfume because it lasts so much longer.

    My job. Are you tired of hearing about it? I LOVE MY JOB. Last night, we had a stuffed animal sleepover. Sometimes I look at what I’m doing and can’t help but laugh. It really is true– do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.

    Art for Kids Hub on Youtube- I don’t let my kids have youtube videos on unless I am right there. This is a cute channel with a father and daughter. He teaches kids to draw step by step. It has kept all three girls entertained, and taught them some really fun tricks.

    I hope that your Wednesday is treating you well, friends. Find small things that make you happy if it’s not!

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  • Farmhouse Update- Week 10

    June 17, 2019

    We got some painting done! The living room is all painted and ready for the trim to go back on!

    The wall is back up in the half bath!

    It’s been slow and steady progress. It is really fun to see it all coming back together! More flowers are blooming. Scott and I stood by the fence and watched the girls play outside. The moment they get out of the car, their imaginations come to life. The simplicity of it all is so refreshing.

    I don’t think the sunsets will ever get old.

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