Pioneer Woman at Heart

One Flourishing, Frugal and Fun Family!

One family learning to live off the land, cut back on expenses, and to live a simpler and a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

Adopted Motto

"Eat it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or go without."
~A Pioneer Sampler, by Barbara Greenwood~

Monday, December 16, 2019

Happy Homemaker Monday ~ Power Outage Prep

It rained the entire day Saturday, but we went to town and bought some chicken wire, and took advantage of some sales.  We earned 50% off all general merchandise at the grocery store in the "Big City" and earned some rewards at another store.  We basically shopped for our youngest daughter's birthday and Christmas presents.  


Thanks to our one time 50% off reward, I finally own a coffee press in case we lose power for any reason.  I only paid $4.99 for it too. 

We were exhausted upon arriving home.  Nothing got done after that.

Sunday I was woken up at 5am by the dog, and then I remembered I promised Hubby and our youngest daughter a big breakfast.  Slowly, I sipped coffee and woke up with a power shower.  We ran more errands, but with a $20 roll of chicken wire, old barn wood and a ton of staples, we fixed the coop.  We definitely need to build a new coop.  There better be eggs out there today too.  Our mistake as a new homesteader was building one with chicken wire.  It lasted almost 11 years though.  Lesson learned.

The new coop will be like a shed with windows and doors, very secure, with a run.  We were discussing the location, and we actually have a cement slab where an old chicken coop was years and years ago.  We just have to clean the giant rocks off of it (left there from past owners), and cut down trees that grew around it. It'll be closer to the house too.  At least it's on our agenda now. 

We are talking about using the old goat fence for the dog and future dog, until we can put up a fence closer to the house.  I'll need a push lawn mower to keep it mowed down though.  or a larger gate, but that would be tearing apart the fencing.  It has to stay mowed down due to foxtail in it (very dangerous to a dog).






Homemade biscuits and sausage gravy, eggs, and potatoes (we indulged since we don't eat potatoes that often now).  Oh, and crock pot "fried" apples.


I sold this set!  Woohoo to that.  Adding that cash to the new coop fund.


We named them.  The calico is "Dolly" the coat of many colors, and the black and white one "Waylan" land bedside the road.  They definitely were dumped here.  They respond very well to "here kitty kitty" and they come running when I call them.  They are still too shy to come all the way to me though.




Today I'm joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.


The weather outside is . . .
28°F and snowing.  More snow to fall today as well.



On the breakfast plate  . . .
Leftover biscuits and gravy, eggs, potatoes and "fried" apples.


As well as homemade mochas, using organic coffee, homemade hot cocoa and organic mint syrup.


As I look out my window . . .
We have snow!


Right now I am . . .
Getting ready to post this, stoke the fire and get this day started, and starting breakfast egg muffins.  Oh, and laundry started too.


As I look around the house . . .
It's a mess.  Ugh.  Too much running around this past weekend and daughter had tons of homework.


On today's to-do list . . .
A ton of dishes (a friend is giving us their dishwasher next month so we won't have to look for parts for our current one)
Get dinner in the crocky - Chili
Load money to daughter's school lunch acct
Laundry
Change bedding
Put wire cutters, staples and staple gun away
Clean entire master bath
Vacuum
Sweep kitchen
Breakfast for the next few days
Renew library books
Bake a pie


On this week's to-do list . . .
Finish Christmas decorating
Put totes away
Wrap birthday and Christmas gifts
Finish a set of hot pads (an order)
Work on scarf (another order)
Start another set of hot pads (another order)
Finish nail polish bottle ornaments
Confirm dates to visit the island next year (emails sent)
Confirm a date for the cabin for our anniversary



On the menu this week . . .
Chili, cornbread
Ham beans and leftover cornbread
Chicken noodle soup
Salmon patties, roasted veggies
Leftovers


Currently reading . . .
Nothing


On the TV this week . . .
Netlfix and library movies


What I am creating . . . 

A double wrap infinity scarf that was ordered, and two more nail polish tree ornaments.  On a side note, I made her a headband and she wants a matching scarf.  I went all over looking for the same yarn (not knowing the brand nor color because I forgot to clip the wrapper to it ugh).  I ended up finding the exact color yesterday.



Prayers. . .
My Mom.  She's setting up her tests at Cleveland Clinic.  Not sure yet if they will set a surgery date.  Just so you know, Mom has had two heart surgeries already.  For our 20 year-old and her finances (just got bombed with a $1,000 bill {after insurance} from her car accident last fall).  A family friend.  She borrowed $100 from us months ago, and has not paid us back.  I'm praying she does the right thing.

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Random Tidbits

I should have paid more attention to the weather.  It's much warmer, but 90% chance of rain, and it's raining.  No wood cutting today.  Ugh.


My sets didn't sell at the craft show.  Not one, so this one went into my youngest daughter's hope chest.


I found these reindeer antlers in the Christmas totes.  Romeo didn't like them, but let us put them on for a short while. 


I finished the granny square scarf with matching slouchy hat for our 20 year-old daughter.


The stray cats are trusting me a bit more lately.  I found both looking inside the door at me this morning.  They will run off if I open the door though.  Just ignore those doggie nose marks on the glass, ha ha!

I went out to the "Big City" for a few errands and one was to find paint brushes for water painting books.  Believe or not, I found the books at the dollar store, but no brushes. I found those at Wal-Mart.


Friday, December 13, 2019

Cold Front ~ My Zip is Back

Woke up to 18°F (felt like 9°F) yesterday morning.  We both forgot to stoke the fire before bedtime, so I was up at 5am getting it rolling to heat up the house.  We also had a thin layer of snow.  The chicken's water was frozen (I do not want a heat-able unit out in the barn), so I rotating watering units daily.

Woke up to this on the computer this morning.  Just love this kiddo.







I got my zip and zap back.  Maybe because of the cold weather, ha ha!  I was zipping around putting up more Christmas lights, and decorations.  Of course in between it all I folded towels, did more laundry, and put my craft totes away until next season.  I did the dishes, wrote out a shopping list, worked on the Christmas menu (cutting it down, but healthy and yummy), put some bows up outside, wrapped all the gifts, set rat traps in the barn, and brought in more wood.



...on the Christmas morning breakfast menu.  I know Hubby has to watch his sugar, so I'll drink one for him, ha ha!

There's one thing I'm really, really good at - making dirty dishes.

There's one thing I'm very, very bad at - watering my houseplants.

Thanks to my youngest daughter, I got an order for an infinity scarf. 

One of my simple pleasures?  Men's Christmas socks.  The only socks that keep me warm and fit (I wear size 11 shoes).  I ask for them every Christmas, don't get any, so I just go buy them.


Thursday, December 12, 2019

Canning Applesauce ~ Writing Again ~ Scarf in Progress

I've been getting up about 5-5:30am to stoke the fire.   We woke up to 19°F.   We will need to cut more wood this weekend.  The repairs on the coop have been delayed due to the dark days, and how dark it is when Hubby gets off work.  Repairs resume on the weekend as well.




I finally got around to canning some applesauce.  It pretty much took most of my morning and afternoon.  I bought 20# this year (I haven't canned applesauce in a few years now).  Remaining apples will be in the cooler garage.  I may can another half-batch of applesauce too.



...and since I had apples, I put steel cut oats in the crocky for our next breakfast (cutting the brown sugar down this time).  The apples and raisins add enough sweetness.

Guess what's on the menu this weekend?  Crockpot "fried" apples with breakfast.

Hubby and I watched a good movie on Netflix the other night.  It was pretty good too.  It's call Falling INN love.  While watching it, Hubby asked me "you need to be writing again."  I agree, so I will carve time in my day for that again.  Who knows, maybe I'll be bringing in some extra cash for our new coop fund?  Anyway, the movie is good, don't let the title make you think it's just another love story.  Once you watch it, you see why "writing" was brought up while watching it.




I have all the granny squares made for the scarf I'm gifting.  I just have to crochet them all together now.

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Christmas ~ Nail Polish Bottle Ornament

Does anyone else feel like Christmas will be here way too quick and over with way too quick?  I feel like the clock is zipping by this year.  I love Christmas time too.  

Hubby's family arranged crafting weekends all month long, but all the crafts are items that go to the cemetery.  I'm just getting depressed from them all, so I'll be staying home and focusing on positive, mood boosting, happy stuff.  Not that I don't want to forget anyone, but it's been one long year and I'd rather move on and be happy as they'd want us to be.

Bad news has flowed into our lives again.  My mother has to see a doctor at Cleveland clinic regarding heart issues.  She's already had two surgeries, and one that is the most difficult and most serious to do.  Not what we all wanted to hear, but thankful that she asked the doctor to do a check, otherwise would have gone undetected.



What do you think?  Daughter wanted something cosmetology related for her teachers.  I just need to add the hanger and make one more.  It was not fun crocheting the black yarn.  It's been so dreary here and lighting is terrible even with light up hooks.  I used Hubby's head lamp, ha ha!



I got one order for a headband/ear warmer, so that was finished up yesterday.  I have to finish up a scarf for a gift next.

Our dreary weather is depressing me big time.  I need to go sniff an orange.  They say that works for that.  We were all three discussing how rotten of a dark day it was yesterday.  I don't remember winter being this dark.

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Tuesday Tidbits ~ Less Stress Christmas ~ The Trees are Up!

I'm no longer a fan of homemade shampoo.  It was drying our hair out.  I found a chemical free/organic store brand at my grocery store (of all places) with argan oil in it and we love it.  It even comes with a seal on it.

I had purchased extra cookie ingredients for this Christmas, but now I won't be using them.  I may donate them to the kids.  There will be no buckeyes, sorghum candy, homemade toffee, cut outs, etc.  It's gonna be way less stress, but odd.  I will at least bake einkorn peanut butter cookies.  We are all about to weigh a lot less.  




Speaking of Christmas, I got all the trees up.  I do need more lights.  Five up  - 6 if you include my bathroom Christmas tree night night.  I also got some garland with lights up, and some decor.



I put up a battery operated "camper" string of lights on my Christmas quilt rack.  I just love it. It's not very long, but long enough for the quilt rack.  


Every year I unpack my snowmen, I am filled with love and they truly make me smile.  My Aunt sent them to me one year.  She is no longer with us, but she is here in spirit.







Monday, December 9, 2019

Happy Homemaker Monday


Like a dork, I took a huge bag of crochet projects with me to the craft show last Saturday.  Guess what I did?  I forgot to bring a hook.  I had zero hooks and my afghan hook was still at home.  I had one "crochet emergency kit" in the truck (woohoo!), so I at least had an "H" hook to work on a lapghan.

Speaking of hooks, the ones that light up do not work well using cotton yarn.  To be honest, I like the neck lamp better than the light up hooks. I get more light that way.  However I used them to crochet dark yarn and they worked great too. Just an update.

We started with the coop repair Sunday morning, only to find out the damage was more extensive than we thought.  We'll be buying another roll of wire, and saving our pennies to build a new coop (out of the barn) next year. It's just time.  Chicken wire is not working out and we could use the barn space anyway.  We need to re-roof the barn next year if we want to keep the barn from deteriorating as well.  I was just tired of fighting predators and it's just time to build a more secure coop.

Speaking of chickens, "Cluck Norris" has passed on and into rooster heaven (sad face).  However, I am not lacking in roosters.  One lucky gent went from the rooster pen and in with the ladies.  I'll be giving him a name soon.



We cut wood for more than 3 hours, and only have one large chunk left to cut and split now.  I racked up 6000 steps just splitting and hauling wood.  Whew!    Oh our achy bodies....

I put more sets up for sale on my other blog.  All proceeds go to building us a new coop.  


Today I'm joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.



The weather outside is . . . 
High of 52°F and raining.  Tomorrow the temps dip again.


On the breakfast plate . . .
Taco breakfast egg muffins.  
I just googled for a recipe, adjusted it with home canned zucchini salsa, organic beef and homemade taco mix, and organic cheese.  Next batch will have some sort of greens in them, but otherwise delicious.


As I look outside my window . . .
It's dark, cloudy and still raining.


Right now I am . . .
Starting the dishes and laundry


As I look around the house . . .
Oh my, I have to put the craft totes away, tidy up the living room and start a fire.



On the to-do list . . .
Dishes
Make breakfast egg muffins
Clean out fridge
Install new drip bowls on stove top
Put trash out
Put Christmas tree up
Repair coop
Crochet



On this week's to-do list . . .
-can applesauce
-put up Christmas decor
-clean up my bedroom (it's a total disaster of yarn)
-freeze homemade mushroom soup
-place online order for daughter's birthday gifts and Hubby's anniversary gifts


On the menu this week . . .
Have no clue


Currently reading . . . 
Nothing
On the TV . . .
Movies from the library


What I am creating at the moment . . .
A headband/ear warmer that is an order I got, and one daughter's scarf.  Also, our youngest daughter asked me to whip up something to gift her two Cosmetology teachers.  I have a pattern for something cute.  Cross you fingers I get them made.


Favorite photo from the camera . . .
Yesterday's sunrise.


Prayers . . .
No special request at this time