Farm Fresh Friday: Scheming a plan

It's pretty much time to put in my order for chicks and I'm SO not ready yet!!!
I have a dilemma...  I'm terrified of skunks.  Seriously, I'd rather have my leg gnawed off by an angry bear than be sprayed by a skunk.  And the shed that I was hoping to turn into this year's chicken house had a family of skunks living underneath it for the better part of last Summer.  With a little forethought, I could have taken care of this issue in the Fall by digging under the shed and putting chicken wire down into the ground all around the bottom to keep the skunks from returning this Spring.  But I didn't, and the ground is still frozen, so digging a trench for the skunk-keeper-outer wire is out of the question.

At this point I'd like to build a whole new coop elsewhere.  Probably not the most practical approach, but a girl can dream, right?  Like maybe about one of these wicked cool ones...?

This one has twinkle lights!!!

Photo sources:  theartofdoingstuff.com, backyardchickens.com,  design-milk.com, moderncoops.weebly.com, homesteadrevival.blogspot.com

Thanks for stopping by,

-Lindsey

Thrifty Thursday: Reusable Swiffer Cover Tutorial

I'm not a fan of disposable cleaning wipes.  They score major points for convenience factor, but not so much for eco-friendly factor, or cost-per-use factor.  When we put our new hardwood floors in last summer, I dug my Swiffer back out of the basement along with a partial box of the pad/cover thingys that came with it.  I was kind of terrified by the fact that the scent in the dry pads was still as strong as the day I bought them.  I didn't feel like it was something I wanted to be pushing around my new floors, or introducing to my dogs' digestive systems.  So I made my own.  It doesn't have any chemicals in it, it works just as well (if not even better) at trapping dust and dog hair, and I can use it over and over again because it's completely machine washable.

Here's what you need to make your own:
~A microfiber towel (I've also made one with fleece, and it works fine also).
~An old t-shirt (any fabric that has a lot of stretch in at least one direction will do).
~Scissors or a cutting mat and rotary cutting wheel.
~Basic sewing machine
~About 15 minutes

Place your Swiffer down on the towel and cut around it, leaving about a 1/2 inch extra on each edge for seam-allowance.

Using the rectangle you just cut out of the towel, place it on your old t-shirt and use it as a template to cut the same shape out of the t-shirt.  Make sure that your rectangle follows the stretchy part of the t-shirt fabric, meaning you should be able to stretch the rectangle you cut from the t-shirt into a much longer and skinnier rectangle.  Fold the rectangle you cut out of the t-shirt in half and cut it on the fold, leaving you with 2 squares of t-shirt fabric.

Place your two t-shirt squares on top of the wrong side of the towel fabric (If you're using a towel with a pattern on it.  Otherwise it doesn't matter).

Run it all through the sewing machine with a 1/2 inch seam allowance all the way around.  back stitch a couple of times where the two t-shirt squares meet in the middle.  This makes a stronger seam where it's going to have the most tugging and pulling on it to get it on your Swiffer.

Turn it all right-side-out again.

You should end up with something that looks like this.  Slide one side of your Swiffer into the cover.  Now stretch it with all your might to get it on the other side.  This is why I did those back-stitched seams.  If I was going to do this all over again, I might have tried it with shorter pieces of t-shirt fabric, as to not have to stretch it so hard to get it on.  But it makes a nice tight cover that doesn't get stuff stuck under it while pushing it around.  So I'm happy enough with it.

You should end up with something that looks like this...

...And this.


Have a wicked fun time using your new eco-friendlier Swiffer cover!

Thanks for stopping by,
-Lindsey

"Make it work..." Tim Gunn, you're my hero for saying those words

I'm not usually a big follower of reality television, but I do love the hell out of Project Runway.  I love it partially to watch the disasters that are usually the most adored looks by the judges, but primarily, I love it for Tim Gunn.  I know it's TV, and they portray people the way they want, but he just seems to me like the epitome of class.  He carries himself well, he's always kind, even while delivering criticism, and if you've ever watched his "It Gets Better" video you'll see that he's a man who has been through amazing troubles and not only survived, but persevered and went on to help others who are also struggling.  That, to me, is a winning combination in a role model.  That and, of course, his famous line that he delivers in every episode that I think of every time I'm in a bind...

It's so simple, but it applies in every part of life.  Seriously, I think of Tim Gunn saying to me, "Make it work."  

This is one of the most important concepts to grasp in life, really.  It applies to parenting, your personal style, the extra options you wish you had for yourself and your family if money were no object...

Start improvising on your recipes if you're out of an ingredient it calls for.  Have an at-home movie night when money's tight.  Grow some small container gardens if you're worried about the chemicals on store-bought veggies.  Try shopping for high quality items at thrift stores instead of paying new retail prices for them.  Celebrate the accomplishments your kids have made instead of worrying about what their peers are up to.  When things aren't working out the way you had planned, you just have to go with what you have and make it work.  

Thanks for stopping by,
-Lindsey

Smart tip for parents when buying a new car...

I'm not sure if you've noticed, but automobiles have come an awful long way since the decade we all picture when we think of stay-at-home Moms.  Our station wagons have ipod docks, epic sound systems, are (literally) half the size of the boat that Granny used to drive around, get like a million mpg, and actually have car seats strapped in.  Those car seats also now take up most of the back seat and have more cup holders than a redneck's riding lawnmower.

A few months ago we were in search of a replacement to my husband's old car, and we learned something during the process that I'll share it with you.  This is now my number one tip for parents when buying a new car; Test-drive car seats while you're test-driving the car.

                                                            Photo Source: edmunds.com                           

Our future plans include having more kids, but we're not out riding around with a monstrous rear-facing car seat, waiting for a baby to fall into it for us.  So while we were out test-driving small, fuel-efficient cars, we tootled over to a store that sold cars seats.  We tried out a variety of front and rear-facing seats to see how they fit in the car.  Any store worth a darn will let you try car seats in your car for proper fit before you buy, and any dealership worth a darn won't care if you go car seat shopping during your test-drive.

It turned out that all the seat's fit surprisingly well, and we're the proud new owners of "The Sex-Mobile 5000" (now that we've had it for a few months, my husband has had time to come up with that classy name  for it).  But if he's going to peel his ass out of bed and drive to work at 4am to support us, he can name his car whatever the hell he wants...  

Thanks for stopping by,
-Lindsey    

Manic Monday: How to dress like you still give a $*&t when you don't have time to...

These are my personal rules for venturing out in public:
1.  Before I go out in public, I ask myself if what I just put on is going to make me someones new poster-child for birth control.
2.  If my hair is dirty, I put a hat on.
3.  I'm a mega-dork fan of cardigans.  They're way more "done" than a sweatshirt, have the same extra-layer warmth, and they make jeans and a T look look it happened on purpose.  Wear a cool T-shirt or modern printed shirt under it and you won't look like your grandpa.
4.  I don't wear a lot of make-up.  I have one of those mouths that turns up just a little in the corners.  So I look the The Joker if I wear lipstick.  Frankly it freaks me out.  BUT, it takes me, literally, about 45 seconds to slap some tinted moisturizer on to cover up my adult acne, swipe a tiny bit of bronzer on my cheek bones (wherever they are now), smear on some lip balm, and add a coat of mascara.  Do this.  You'll be so happy when you catch a glimpse of yourself in the rear view mirror, and you look surprisingly human.
5.  I plan for the worst, and hope for the best.  Meaning, if I run into an old boyfriend, or meany-head former coworker at the grocery store, I don't want to look down and say to myself, "Self, you really should have covered up your greasy hair, ditched the sweat pants, and made sure that puke stain was hidden by a cute cardi."  Best case scenario?  I'm the best looking little old lady rockin' out with my cart out at 9am.

Why I think this outfit is awesome:

~The hat covers your unwashed hair.  
~The t-shirt shows that you still have a personality.  
~The cardigan keeps you warm, doesn't hide your cool T, and is way more flattering then an over-sized sweatshirt.  
~The belt keeps your pants from gaping open in the back when you bend over (now that you have mom hips and no pair of pants on the face of the planet fits properly at the waist anymore).
~The skinny jeans are surprisingly comfy (they stretch), allow you to wear your comfy flats without dragging your pant legs in the mucky parking lot puddles.  And for those of you who are scared to wear "skinny" jeans over not-so-skinny hips... Get over it.  People aren't stupid.  They know your butt is the same size today in skinny jeans as it was yesterday in your boot-cut ones.  
~The flats rock because you don't have to tie them, and they make it look like you haven't given up (as opposed to wearing white running sneakers.  those have their place, and it's on your treadmill). 


Here's the deal ladies... It is NOT OK to leave the house in pajama pants.  Not even just to drive up along side the school's sidewalk, push your kids out, and speed away.  It's called Murphy's Law.  If you leave the house like that, you're going to need to run in with a forgotten lunch box.  And when you do, you're going to look like a college student that woke up in a hung-over stupor, and stole some lady's minivan.

Thanks for stopping by,
-Lindsey


    

Farm-Fresh Friday: Winter Wonderland

Over this last week, Vermont was given a rather impressive heaping of new snow (finally).  Up until a few days ago, we'd spent most of the Winter tip-toeing around on what had become a statewide ice rink. Not only is the lack of snow and overabundance of ice scary to move around on, but it absolutely sucks for the state's economy.  Vermont is a tiny little state full of pretty happy people, but the economy and our jobs here rely heavily on tourism.  In the Spring, Vermont is famous for it's Maple Syrup production.  In the Summer we have picturesque, lush green mountains (after all, it is called "The Green Mountain state") for hiking on and a Ben & Jerry's factory to explore.  In the Fall we have our glorious explosion of bright orange foliage to peek at.  And in the Winter, it's all about the snow; Skiing, snowshoeing, dog-sledding, snowmobiling, you name it.

I know this is supposed to be a "Farm Fresh Friday" post, but since there's not much farming to be done in 18 inches of new snow, you can take a look at our snow instead...

The back yard (soon to be LOTS of veggie gardens) 1st morning of new snow

The back yard that evening

The back yard the next morning

The "view" from our front porch, first day of the storm

Way better view the next morning

This is what a happy dog looks like in a snowstorm...laying in front of the wood stove ALL DAY LONG.  This one is Martha, by the way.  She's the baby.

And this is what the other happy dog does.  This one is Marley.  She's the big sister.

And this is what very tolerant big sister dogs let baby dogs do during a snow storm

The Kid at the beginning of our snowshoe trek (first one we got to go on all year.  wicked excited about it!)

He was pretty impressed with himself for climbing up this bad boy.  And I have to say, after finally putting the camera down and trying it myself, I was pretty darned impressed with him also.

We found a deer house!  Those 3 bare spots under the trees are "beds" where  deer sleep.

 Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy your weekend!
-Lindsey

Thrifty Thursday: Skills to learn that save you money

You can learn how to do just about anything now-a-days with a simple Google search, and you should absolutely take advantage of the wealth of knowledge available to you.  I'm not talking large-scale stuff here, Folks.  Please don't be trying to rewire your home with a tutorial you found online (and shame on whoever would even post one of those for any over-eager homeowners to fall victim to).  But learning a few basic "handy" skills can make a World of difference in how self-sufficient you can be, and how much you have to rely on others.

When my husband and I were first contemplating the idea of getting chickens, we wanted to see if we could handle the whole process.  So we spent an evening on YouTube watching videos on how to slaughter chickens.  Let me tell you that makes for an interesting date...  But with his culinary experience, and my cold-hearted-bitchiness, we learned that it was a task we could muster through on our own.  So we'll be able to save ourselves having to pack our car full of chickens and cart them off to the slaughter house.  Plus, I figure it'll give our egg birds an added incentive to really start crankin' up production if they don't just think that the meat birds got to go for a fun little ride in the car.  Not funny?  Sorry...

A much less gruesome skill that I highly recommend you learn, is sewing.  Basic sewing machines won't break the bank to purchase, they're very user-friendly now, and they pretty much pay for themselves after the first few projects you complete on them.  Sewing curtains is a great first project, because you only have to sew straight lines, and the finished project has big impact.  Once you practice a bit on easy projects, you can work your way up to the stuff that REALLY saves you the dough; clothing alteration and/or construction.  I can't even begin to guess the amount of money I've saved over the years because I'm now able to mend garments, or completely replace them by making my own.  And yes, I've sat in front of my sewing machine, with the laptop next to me playing a YouTube video of how to do that particular project.

This is the one that I bought.  Photo is from Smitty's in Essex Junction, VT.  He was totally awesome, and I would hands-down recommend him to anyone in the market for a new or used machine

You don't have to know how to do everything.  You just have to know where to get the instructions. 


Thanks for stopping by,
-Lindsey