A Contented, Common Life

More Key Tips and Tricks...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 10 Feb 2016 14:19:00 +0000

My previous post discussed a few of my favorite tips and tricks I've learned so far on this fit journey....
And I've got a few more right here. If you're interested... read on!

We left off with me sharing about my favorite snacks.
This right here is my current obsessive snack... the snack that I currently love and crave.... the snack I need all my will power to curb myself from snarfing the whole entire bag...

A photo posted by Amy Wagner (@amyrwags) on Jan 16, 2016 at 12:07pm PST

Until December, I wasn't a lover of caramel popcorn. I mean, if it was there- sitting out for all to nibble on, I'd eat it but I never ever craved it. This stuff right here... Oh, I crave it. It's from Aldi and I have an open bag and a back up bag on hand pretty much at all times. Sigh. Good news is-- compared to what I use to snack on this is better (130 calories for .8 cup serving). The problem is stopping at just one serving. I've taken to measuring out a single serving into a pretty bowl and just taking my time enjoying it. What can I say? I'm a visual person and the pretty bowl just helps.

Fit Recipes-- I'm going to say this right now- I'm scared of fit recipes. Yep. I'm frightened of putting time and effort and extra money into making something that tastes like paste or has the texture of cardboard. Fit and healthy recipes....these are muddy waters. So I dip in here lightly and check ingredients and prices and such. So far we have about four really great "keeper" recipes. My favorite sources at this point- Dashing Dish and Chocolate Covered Katie. Katie's cookie dough dip was my very first try and I was so excited that it was a hit. We love it! And Dashing Dish's Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingerbread Crust.... oh my word is this over-the-top, amazingly delicious. We made it for my birthday cake. It is heavenly and only 185 calories a slice. Oh yes!
There have also been some duds. The skinny coffee creamers- blech. The smoothie that was suppose to taste like a shamrock shake... not even close. Verdict? I'll keep trying recipes that look appealing and don't require three or more different types of flour. There always has to be a level of experimentation I think. It keeps things interesting.

I've introduced a few new fish recipes into our menu plan and have tried substituting ground turkey for hamburger... my people can tell, y'all. They know the difference. And they don't like it. So I've taken to either going halfsies between the two or only using the turkey in meals that have lots of extra flavor and spices. We've cut down on how much salt and butter we use and our new favorite side dish is steamed broccoli drizzled with fractionated coconut oil and topped with a couple pinches of pink sea salt.
We love our carbs here at the farm so my go-to is taking a smaller portion of the carb and a double portion of the veggies. And I give myself permission every so often to make my own little healthy meal separate from what everyone else is eating if I really need it.

Water-- We all know the key to good health is lots and lots and lots of water. And sometimes it's hard or sometimes it just gets plain boring to keep drinking water and water and water and more water. First thing I did- buy myself new water bottles. Not just one bottle. Get at least three. For when you set them down and don't remember where, leave one in the car or worse at a friend's house. Get yourself a pretty one, a fun one, a glass one. Glass water bottles are my fave because my next trick for drinking more water is this-- put fruit in it. I love frozen strawberries, oranges and peaches in my water. Flavor it up! Or I use essential oils (lemon, grapefruit, lime- any citrus is my fave)- one to two drops per 20 oz of water is all you need. You must use glass water bottles (my favorite is pictured above) when adding fruit or essential oils to your water because otherwise the acids will eat away at a plastic water bottle.
Back in September a friend gifted me with a six pack of flavored water- zero calorie, black cherry flavored... extremely delicious. This was the first time I'd ever had flavored bottled water. This stuff is GOOD! And when I found that my favoritest grocery store ever- Aldi, carried their own brand of flavored water, I was all about that stuff.
By the way- peach is my favoritest favorite of all. And ZERO calories people.
Now, it's not exactly frugal (ahem) but if it gets me drinking more water, I'm doing it.

Grace days not cheat days-- One final thing about food. We all know the phrase- "moderation is key". I agree- it's very true. But if you find that just one bite or half your normal portion isn't enough and you're going for more... than that's a food you need to stay away from for awhile until you learn to control your impulses. There's another two word phrase kicked around in fitness circles- cheat meals or cheat days. I don't agree. Calling it a cheat meal or a cheat day has negative implications. Like you can't "win" without cheating. I decided right away that there weren't going to be cheat meals or cheat days. And I decided I wasn't going to deny myself for days on end to "store up" calories so that I could binge/cheat for one whole day. In my opinion, that really does a number on your fit journey and it's really one temporary satisfaction.
So what do I believe?
I believe in Grace Meals and Grace Days. I believe in daily striving to eat healthy, balanced meals and every so often giving yourself a bit of grace to eat something you crave that isn't quite so healthy. Just as I believed in walking in order to run, I believe in allowing myself to eat foods I enjoy, with grace and dignity. No hiding behind the fridge door to wolf down a piece of pie when no one's looking. Nope. If I want that piece of pie, I put it on a pretty plate and sit down and eat it. The key is to limit your amount of grace days/grace meals. You don't get a grace meal every day. And maybe you don't get a grace day every week. If my fit journey hinges on one meal or one day of clean eating.... I'm not doing it right and I'd question my motives. This journey is about learning to deny myself, yes.... but not martyr myself. There's a slight difference between the two. You martyr yourself too often and you'll give up, because it's just too hard. You give yourself grace and enjoy that slice of pie or that burger and fries and you smile as you really truly savor every bite. It's okay.
I can't stress enough how key the concept of grace days has been to my fit journey. Giving myself permission to rest and not exercise, giving myself permission to eat a food I love or a meal I crave... makes it, in my mind, a bit easier to face that tough workout the next day... and own it!

Running Shoes-- Reader, if you're going to run, you can't run in your every day errand running shoes. Believe me, your feet, your knees, your back will thank you when you take the time and spend the money to get professionally fitted for some kickin' new sneaks. And be prepared friend, they'll cost you. $$$ But the cost will be soooooo worth it. My running shoes are the most expensive pair of shoes I own. And I love them. They made quite the difference in how I run and how I feel after a run. I care for them like a baseball player takes care of his glove. I spent my first two months running using my every day shoes that I'd had for almost two years. And I got shin splints and my hip hurt and my knee hurt....
I went and got professionally fitted for my new kicks and I haven't had a shin splint or lower back pain since. Sold.
[Note: replace your running shoes when you've put 300-500 miles on them.]

Workout Clothes-- I'm a girl. I like pretty things. Ergo when I decided that this working out/running thing was really real, I gave myself permission to get some cute gear that fit. I started out with stuff from Meijer and Walmart and I still have some of it. Moisture-wicking, dry feel fabric is glorious. Seriously. Get you some! Dry-wicking over cotton every day!
And when it comes to training/running in colder temps.... I'm an Under Armour Cold Gear Girl. Oh yes. I love this stuff. I also use it for my base layer for going out in the winter- be it snowshoeing or sledding. UA Cold gear is cozy dreamy.
And do I need to mention the necessity of a good sports bra? Yes, it is straight up, completely necessary. Get two. Or four if you find the cute ones. And again- go for the dry-wicking material.

Whew! That's a lot of info to be sharing! Thanks for sticking it out.... And I'm not quite done. Sorry. I want to mention one more thing that's been key for me....

Getting rid of my clothes as they've gotten too big for me. As in pack them up and take them to Goodwill. Pronto. If you think you need to keep them, you're already doing some harm to your fit journey by creating for yourself a back door/back up plan (In my opinion).

I don't want to wear ill-fitting clothes. That's what got me started on this journey to begin with! If you're afraid to part with something because of cost- check into consignment sales. There's tons of little upscale resale boutiques out there and some pay cash money up front for your gently used clothes (which you can then use to purchase some new-to-you duds that fit great).

Personally, having to purchase an entire new wardrobe has been intimidating, fun and rewarding... and a bit expensive. Especially for a mama that hasn't really been spending the clothing budget on herself these last several years.... ahem. The expense part of the equation helps me to really be mindful of what I'm buying and has shown me that I can put myself together with a few key, well made pieces. Another bonus- more room in the family closet as my clothes take up half the room they once did.

There is always a blessing!

Previous Post in the Fit Journey Series: Key Tips & Tricks I've learned on this Fit Journey
The first post... where I started sharing it all: The Biggest Brave in My Year

Key Tips & Tricks I've learned on this Fit Journey

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 03 Feb 2016 13:13:00 +0000

In my last couple of posts I've shared a couple of key ways I've been able to keep myself motivated (an accountability buddy and rewards). Today I want to cover a few other key elements to this journey.

After crafting this post, I realized it was extremely long... seriously. Too long. So I'm breaking it up into two [kinda still long] posts so as not to bore you completely and all at once.
You're welcome.

Key For Me:

Good music-- When I first started running, I used one of the Worship stations we created on Pandora. And I was constantly skipping slow songs trying to keep my rhythm up. And then I remembered I have music with my Amazon Prime and started going through picking songs I like and looking for faster tempos.... I quickly realized that Lecrae is my absolute favorite for running. That man keeps the beat pumping and I use his tune Go Hard for a power song when I'm lagging in my run. Works every time.
Download some music and make yourself a pumpin' playlist.
I've created two running playlists- one for a 3 mile/5k run and one that runs 75 minutes for when I need a longer run. I make it my goal to keep running as long as my playlist is playing. I had a noticeable increase in speed after creating these playlists. Plus I enjoy the music so much it helps push me to keep going and enjoy myself.
Make sure your last two songs are power songs that just get you giddy, make you want to pick up your pace and your legs pumping. Because I'm old school.... I made Eye of the Tiger my last song on both lists.
And yes, as a matter of fact, it does make me run faster! lol

Rewards-- 5 lb, 10 lb, certain spots on journey (160, 159, 150, 149). I talk about all that in this post right here.

My Apps-- I have tried a few different fitness apps and I may try some more but these are the ones I keep going back to...
Runtastic- I'm a paid member and use RuntasticPro. I LOVE it. It counts my calorie burn, my miles and maps my runs. It shows me the run time for each of my miles for every session and will even chime in with mile markers/calorie burn/pace during a run if you want. Runtastic isn't just for tracking runs-- I use it for all my training, even snowshoeing! The app has quite the list of "exercises" and has also helped me track my weight loss and chart my progress. I especially enjoy when it sends me little emails letting me know I've achieved a new personal record. Those are awesome encouragements to me!
My Fitness Pal- syncs with Runtastic and keeps me on track with counting my calories, as well as my water intake and lets me add notes to my days. Plus at the end of each day when you complete your entry, it lets you know an estimate of how much you'd weigh in five weeks if you eat/train like that every day. Currently, I use the free version and don't have any plans to upgrade as it works just fine as it is for me. I want to add that I also enjoy the daily nutrient breakdown as I like to keep track of how much protein and how many carbs I'm eating.

Heart Rate Monitor-- For awhile there I got to wondering if my Runtastic calorie burn was on point or running a bit high and I wanted to monitor my heart rate during workouts because I often feel like I'm gargling my heart and was concerned I was pushing too hard. I use the Polar FT4 Heart Rate Monitor (oh yes, I researched it), it's a chest belt and watch set. After reading quite a bit more on target heart rates and using my monitor, I've learned a bit more about when I can/should push my body and when I should ease it up. I'm either one or the other-- I either push myself way to hard or I'm a slacker so this is quite helpful. My monitor also tells me my calorie burn and often runs the same as or a wee bit lower than Runtastic so it was a confirmation that Runtastic is the training app for me.

This ice bag knee wrap right here is the bomb. It give me heart eyes. I couldn't have kept running without this baby. I love it. It's got these great little blue beads in it that can be frozen or heated up and a nice long velcro strap to adjust it to your knee or your shin (remember the shin splints?!). It's way big enough to cover my whole knee and the beads allow for contouring it just so as to ice the sides of my knee as well. Talk about wonderful relief! I have also used it on my shoulder and a friend used it on her ankle sprain. (Although Therapearl also makes wraps for shoulders and ankles- we use what we have on hand. It works.)

Green Tea, Kefir and Kombucha-- Alright. I just lost some of you right there with the last two words... because if you've heard anything about these two fermented drinks you're thinking "Ew." Which I did as well, until I tried them. So allow me to spout this old adage- Don't knock it until you've tried it. My accountabili-buddy turned me on to green tea and I try to drink 3 to 5 cups of it a day. I prefer peach green tea. Yum. I completely agree with the notion that green tea is an appetite suppressant. I use whole milk kefir in my breakfast smoothies. I can't stand the taste straight. I favor a 10 day kombucha and I almost always add pure cherry juice to it for a little added flavor. I received my both my kefir and kombucha starters from friends but you can purchase starters just about anywhere now if you don't know anyone with a starter to share. Both are good for digestion and good gut health.
Of note: you can buy kefir drinks just about anywhere- in many different flavors. If you think you want to try it out that way- go ahead! Personally, I don't use the store bought kefir drinks for a few reasons- I don't care for their taste, they have too much added sugar, and making my own kefir is not only cheaper but healthier for me.

Breakfast Smoothies-- I've read quite a bit about the health benefits and metabolism boost of eating at least 25 to 30 grams of protein at breakfast. I basically worked for three weeks to tweak my smoothie recipe to the point where it tastes seriously amazing and I can get around 36 grams of protein and 459 calories in a 20-24 oz smoothie. I'm thinking I'll share my smoothie recipe at some point. It's my hands down favorite healthy breakfast.

Healthy Snacks always on hand-- Since we're talking food, I must admit part of my weight gain problem comes from the simple yet complicated fact that I'm a snacker. I love to sit down with a good book and a good snack. Part of this journey has been me disciplining my snack habits. I don't believe in going cold turkey and so in the beginning I limited the portions of my favorite snacks and tried to incorporate more fruit. I started buying flavored Greek yogurts to help curb my sweet tooth. I subbed in Aldi's Fit n' Active 100 Calorie Snack Packs (chocolate wafers and chocolate chip wafers being my faves) for Oreos and cookies/brownies. Aldi's healthier trail mixes, trail bars and protein bars.... I've always got at least one of those in my purse, my bible study tote bag and in the snack drawer of my desk. As time has passed, my taste buds have changed and the sweet treats of my glory days don't have the same pull on me. I've been able to let go of the flavored yogurts for the most part as well. At this point in the journey- we keep two to three varieties of fresh fruit on hand, trail mix (with lots of nuts and dried fruit), plain Greek yogurt, granola and a few of those Fit n 'Active snack packs for when my sweet tooth gets a craving.
A few of my current favorite snacks- apple slices with peanut butter, hard boiled eggs and slices of honey ham, granola on yogurt (often adding fresh fruit and a drizzle of honey too!).

Next post- more tips and tricks.... where I talk more about food, the snack I crave and my new found love of workout gear.

Creating Rewards for My Fit Journey

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 20 Jan 2016 13:30:00 +0000

I want to share some of the good stuff... the bits and tidbits that help me stay motivated and on target.... Little things I've learned on this fit journey.
I'll warn you... I believe I've crossed the line in this My Fit Journey series to the point of oversharing.
If you love a good "over share", then grab your coffee and enjoy!
[Need a quick catch up? Click for all the Fit Journey Posts.]

To start with- I'm a goal oriented person. I love crossing things of my To Do List. I also love getting gifts. I quickly found one of the greatest motivators for me was Rewards.
Oh yes, you heard me.
Rewarding myself.
Not with food.
Never with food.
Okay... not never. But make it a seriously rare occasion.... there was that one time Sam and I went biking and stopped for ice cream and I basically used up every calorie I burned off with a chocolate chip cookie dough waffle cone.
I'll say this- it was worth it. *wink*

After those first fourteen weeks of this journey-- when I felt I was going nowhere fast.... I created a reward system for myself for every five pounds lost and for certain milestones.
Five pound rewards being smaller than milestone ones but very effective in keeping me keepin' on. In the beginning it was all about the milestones... we had to get this party started after all.
Example:
First 10# loss: a beautiful dress I'd found from Lands End (one size smaller than I was currently wearing)
15# lost: amazing black shoes to go with that dress
Hitting 159# (a weight I hadn't seen since a few months after having The Boy): another beautiful dress from Land's End

My 159# dress

>>> Side Note: I'd like to mention that I ordered these two dresses when I got serious about this journey back in May. They were on sale and I splurged. I hung them in my closet and would look at them often and tell myself- "that's my 10# dress, that's my 159# dress. I will wear it this summer!" For some women it's a bathing suit they want to fit into, for me it was a dress. Due to my ahem... gut.... I've avoided wearing dresses, especially form fitting dresses for years. YEARS.
(And these dresses had pockets! Oh for the love!!!)

One of my 5# goals: new workout clothes
Another 5#: set of 8 pound weights
Another 5#: awesome hair cut
When I hit 149# it was a custom Farmgirl Paints leather cuff. That cuff sat on my dresser, wrapped all pretty, for about 4 weeks before I was able to make that goal and wear it.
I was tough on myself, I would wait until I'd spent three days at that certain goal before I'd believe it was really real and then I'd enjoy my reward.
I had a friend say to me: Honey just put on the cuff and wear it. And I smiled and told her I just couldn't do it until I hit that goal. I was focused!

Now you may have noticed- my rewards are totally me-focused and mostly about clothing.... which at the time was quite comical to me because when it comes to clothes and such necessities for myself- I've always put myself on the back burner. Last one to get new shoes or winter boots etc. (In fact, up until one of my 5# rewards, I hadn't had real winter boots in about eight years! Somebody else is always in need of boots around here and, ahem, I wasn't going outside to do much in the winter.) I will tell you this- in the last ten + years, in more ways than just my weight, I've been pretty awful about self-care. Now don't get me wrong- I've always enjoyed looking good and dressing nice, but honestly, it had become quite the mental struggle for me. I found clothes shopping for myself to be a real trial and in no way enjoyable.
So- these goals were not just about "rewards" and tangible gifts to myself but also about telling myself I matter. This was a weird concept for me in some ways...

I am always practical. By the end of August, I was down twenty pounds and it was very apparent that my clothes weren't just not fitting, they were ill-fitting. So I made my weight rewards about updating my closet. Self-care. I'm not good about regular hair cuts. I hate to admit it, but I get a hair cut on average, once a year. Gasp! I know. So a good hair cut went on my list. And I decided to try a new hair cut... something bolder than my norm. I wanted something that fit with the new ways I was feeling about myself.

Let me say this.... there is power in a new hair cut, people. Seriously. That new hair cut felt about as amazing as the five pound goal I'd met that "allowed" me the reward. Ha!

Perhaps we've reached a point where you are wondering just a wee little bit about my grand finale reward. What did I give myself for reaching my thirty-five pound goal?
The truth is I haven't rewarded myself. I've thought of one or two rewards but they just didn't seem "big enough" for such a major milestone for me.
I'm not rushing it.
I can wait on this one since its extra special.

And the oversharing continues....

My Fit Journey #7: Accountibili-Buddy

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 18 Jan 2016 13:37:00 +0000

Here's what I realized- I needed an accountability buddy.

Someone on the same journey as me who's making a go of it and would be willing to nudge me, encourage me and share with me.

I didn't want a lot of pressure- not like a personal trainer wanting me to weigh in every day and share notes on every bite I eat- just someone asking "Hey, did you work out today/this week?" or "Hey Girl- #nevermissamonday" and "So, what are your workout plans for this week?"

Having someone hold me accountable made this seriously real. For reference, I'm a recovering people-pleaser. The possibility of someone being disappointed in me is a big motivator. I'm quirky like that.

Post run laughter and lovin' with my Lu...
My Lucy Girl sometimes goes on a short run with me.

I'm blessed to have a friend that was already a few months into her fit journey and was showing amazing progress. I hemmed and hawed about asking her.... and then I prayed about it. I got really serious in prayer about it and the Lord basically reminded me of my biggest problem/obstacle in life-- Pride. My weight and basically blah health were largely due to my own selfish pride and for this to go anywhere I had to begin the work of letting go of it. Ouch.

I asked my friend to mentor me through this. She graciously agreed.

Game changer.

My friend has encouraged me and kept me accountable these last several months. She helped me reach my goal and we continue to be accountabili-buddies. She not only understands the seriousness of the physical side of this journey but also, and more importantly, the spiritual side- she has prayed for me and with me. Another positive-- I have been able to encourage and pray for her as she has for me. That's some double blessings right there.

And that has made all the difference.

Like I said--- Game Changer.

On Week 14- With my friend willing to mentor me. I decided to get really real with this fit journey. I made it my goal to lose a pound a week. I bought a digital scale. I started counting calories, seriously. Not guessing- counting. On Week 15- I started running. And you know that story. From Week 15 to Week 43, I lost 33 pounds.

And.... Now what?

Where do I go from here?

How crazy am I gonna get with this?

You know what? I'm not altogether sure I know. And I'm actually okay with that.

I have goals.

But I also want to be flexible about them instead of rigid. I've learned a thing or two about fluidity these last months. It's got loads of benefits.

This is what I'm looking at-

Yes, a main goal is to maintain my weight loss. To keep consciously eating healthy. Drink lots of water and green tea. Eat high protein breakfasts. Limit sweets.

Keep training three times a week (I've found it to be the most remarkable quiet time with God and a real stress reliever). I've also made it my goal to continue the work I've begun in building physical strength and muscle.

AND.....

I want to build more spiritual strength and muscle! Whoo hoo!

I want to enjoy more outdoor activities.

With my family.

I want to run 6 full miles.

Maybe 7.

I want to go on a run with my man.

I want to bike more trails.

Snowshoeing.

I want to snowshoe three miles.

Maybe more.

Honestly.... I do have one, really real, big goal and I am going to have to work toward it. If there's one fitness goal I'm really serious about for 2016- it's this one.

You see, as a youth leader I go with my church youth group on a retreat every summer-- and every year there is a climbing wall. And every year I try it. And every year (so far), I don't make it to the top. I make it a little higher each year but, dear reader, the farthest I've gone doesn't even equal half way.

I want to reach the top.

I want to take one of my "impossible to do's" and cross it off as done. I want to take my life verse- Philippians 4:13, and breath it in and exhale it out as I push and pull my body to do more than my mind has told it is possible.

Because I can.

Coming up next: Rewarding yourself for the hard work

You can read about the whole fit journey thus far- just click "My Fit Journey".

Are you on your own fit journey? Do you have an accountabili-buddy? What's one trick you use to encourage yourself?

My Fit Journey #6: Goals

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 15 Jan 2016 13:30:00 +0000

December 6, 2015- I reached my goal. Thirty-five pounds lost.

December 10, 2015- I surpassed my goal by a pound.

I cried.

It took two days for me to tell anyone outside my immediate family. Not only was I shocked but I was so scared I would step on the scale the next morning and the number would have bumped up a little and I would no longer be at my goal.

172# on left-- 139# on right. Dropped 2 dress sizes.

Which is silly- because reaching a goal isn't the same as staying at that goal. No one ever said you stay at that goal. You reach a goal, you don't hold it. In fact, you're suppose to set your next goal.

And everyone knows that the new goal is "to maintain".

About which everyone has told me.... it's difficult.

Blech.

So I didn't tell hardly anybody.

Because I didn't want to be wrong. I didn't want to say I lost 35 pounds and a week later have gained one or two of them back. I stepped on that scale every morning for a week and watched as that extra pound stayed gone.

And still I didn't share my big happy news.

Still I was scared this wasn't really real. I hadn't really done it.

I sometimes have some faulty logic.

Bare with me.

In forty-three weeks.... a week longer than the longest I was ever pregnant, I lost thirty-five pounds. I started this journey in February.... because, I told myself, my pants were too tight and if I had to buy new pants it was gonna be because I needed smaller ones not bigger ones. Vanity, yes. Motivation, yes. But only a wee bit--- I spent the first four months losing a pound or two and gaining it back. Lose it, gain it. Do it again. Blech.

My rest spot after running. Gives me a beautiful view of the farm.

In May, I weighed 172 pounds. I had only successfully lost 3 pounds in four months. This was not progress. This was when the Lord nudged me to go on that first run.

Hindsight is helpful. Here's what I know:
I believe those first fourteen weeks were about changing my want-tos and adjusting my mindset. Those weeks were about finding and continuing to make the time to workout and train. They were about slowly learning to adjust my diet and about learning portion control. They were truthfully- mostly about the mental side of this journey. How badly did I want to do this? Was I going to be all in or only go halfsies? How dedicated was I planning to be? Would it be worth it? Really?

I am what you could term a "calculated risk taker". I weigh the pros and cons and look really hard at the possibility of failure and just how much failure that might be before attempting things. And the perfectionist in me says- if there is even a bit of a hint that I'll fail- don't do it. And I don't. Well, I didn't.
But.... then I did.
I think this was one of the scariest things I've ever attempted. Failure was a real possibility (and still could be). I'm a foodie and I sure wasn't known for any willpower with food. I'm not a quitter (stubborn yes, quitter, no.) and I knew starting this meant no "opting out" when I didn't like it anymore or when it ceased to be motivating or fun or just got too hard.

After calculating risks and failure options and possible successes for a good week or so (all while the pants situation continued to make itself known), giving myself numerous pep talks and praying, lots of praying, I decided this had to be done. I also decided I wasn't going to put an expiration date on this journey.... none of this 35 pounds in 35 weeks or "I'll give myself a year to drop the weight". It took years to gain it, I needed to be realistic about giving myself the time and gifting myself some grace to lose it. ---- God made it very clear that I was going to need grace, especially towards myself, as I set off on this journey. (more on that in another post, I think.) And having never done anything like this before-- never tried to lose weight, never tried working out or training, never having run.... I really had no idea how long this was going to take or how hard it would be.

So, how did I come to the conclusion that I needed to drop 35 pounds? Thirty-five put me about in the middle of my healthy BMI for my height and age. A worthy goal. It's also ten pounds more than I weighed when I got married at twenty (21.5 years ago). The realist in me knew I didn't need to weigh 130 lbs anymore and besides, I was going to be exercising regularly for the very first time in my life.... I would actually be building muscle and since muscle weighs more than fat.... a thirty-five pound weight loss seemed exactly appropriate as well as doable.

Back to those first 14 weeks into my journey- I didn't really share much about what I was attempting- just to my immediate family and a couple of close friends. And this was good. No one was pressuring me. I was making small adjustments on my own. I had the space and freedom to work at this at my own pace.

However this was also bad.

Because no one was pressuring me.

Go figure.

Here's what I realized- I needed an accountability buddy... which is my next post.

Thanks for hanging around and reading this. I appreciate it!

You can read about the whole fit journey thus far- just click "My Fit Journey".

My Fit Journey #5: Turning 42

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 13:40:00 +0000

So in the last five posts, I've taken you through nine months of my fit journey.

Need to play catch up? Go here and read about my crazy. It's good stuff.

At the beginning of November I had lost a total of twenty-nine pounds.

Twenty NINE.

Whoo hoo!

When I decided to do something about my weight I weighed just over 175 pounds. Well, I should say when I finally decided to buy a scale and step on it....

That's only a little less than I weighed at nine months pregnant with my boy.... the most I've ever weighed was right around 180 and that was my fourth pregnancy.

One hundred seventy-five on a 5 foot 5 inch frame.

March 2015- I hadn't really lost any weight yet

No, I'm not kidding.

Yes, I hid it well. Clothes can camouflage a lot.

But I knew it was there.... and worse, I knew I wasn't healthy. I felt it.

So November- beginning of the month-- I was within six pounds of my goal and dare I say it.... on fire.

Ha!

I turned 42 on the 3rd and I knew just how I wanted to celebrate-- in fitness style!

We went on a ten mile family bike ride.

Oh yes! What better way to celebrate forty-two and my fit commitment than a fit family field trip! [I should add here that everyone was extremely excited about this bike ride- no one was forced to participate.]

It was a gorgeous fall day and we have a seriously amazing paved hiking and biking trail about thirty minutes from our house that cuts through some of the most beautiful farm land and country side.

I will say this though- ten miles was a bit excessive. Eight would have been a better number. That last mile was a weary one for all of us. And I think we all biked it... standing up. Ouch.

Birthday gifts this year.... new running gear.

I am crazy.

And loving it.

My last day of being 41, I ran my longest run to date- 5.9 miles. I think I would have cried when I saw that number if I hadn't sweat practically every drop of moisture out of my body by the end and didn't have a bit to spare for even happy tears. I did grin though. I whole lotta lot. Big. Big grins. Lots of teeth.

It was the most unbelievable, exhilarating run of my life. Oh, I still struggle part way between mile two and three but those last three miles were amazing. And that last half mile.... beautiful. I ran until my run playlist played out.... just over. Got to the last song and I made the turn for home. Just like that. An hour and nineteen minutes.

It was also one of the most clear headed run

My Birthday Bike Ride. Me & my Madsy.

I think turning 42 has been one of my most favoritest birthdays yet. I know I sound like a broken record- but I feel the best I've ever felt, most energized, physically fit, emotionally fit, and spiritually growing EVER... and I'm doing it in my forties!

Who knew?

Well, God did.

This was all His idea really.

Thank you Lord.

As a showing of this gratitude that overwhelms me and a way of making another big statement to myself that this is a new lifestyle and not a fad--- I went for a run on Thanksgiving. I just had to steal away for some focused quiet time with Him--- just my feet thumping the pavement, worship music cranking in my ears and me talking with God. Thanking Him for all He brought my way this year--- The beautiful, good thankfuls, the meh moments, the teaching moments, the hard, difficult, battle-scarred blessings, the weary, bit o'whining thanks, the down deep painful gratefuls and the soft whispering hidden overwhelming ones that grab me and swamp me with His perfect goodness.

Yeah, all that.

He is good.

No matter what.

I am undone in gratitude.

Lord you amaze me... and this year, you amazed me with me.

Untapped potential- untapped strength, endurance, fortitude, courage....

Oh. Wow.

Who would have thought?

Gotta end here... I'm a bit unraveled by Him...

My Fit Journey #4: It just got crazy

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 13:30:00 +0000

If you’re just joining the party, you may want to read here first to get a bit of background on what’s what here. Or not. It’s up to you.

Oh well, just in case…. I’ll recap a bit for you. I’m helpful like that.

Me and my Lulu.
May 20 to June 18.... 10 lb loss (biking and running)

When I left you last time I had been on this fit journey for five months and had lost about eleven pounds. I had started out T-Tapping, took up running or wogging as I like to call it, got a shin splint, took up jump roping, found out that isn’t good with a shin splint, took to biking, then it got blistering hot…. So I bought a workout dvd. Which brings us to here....

What was I thinking?

I’ll tell you this- in some ways exercise brings clarity of thought.

And in other ways- you start thinking cray-cray.

It’s a fine line.

I threw myself into research… i.e. I googled the top ten fitness dvds available.

I’m smart like that.

After reading a bazillion reviews, both negative and positive on the top three dvds, I gulped and purchased Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. The clincher was the price- $9 (the price has since dipped to $6.96- completely doable!). Doable. I was a bit scared because I heard that Jillian can be quite a bully but sucked it up and did the first level. I managed to not only live through it but find it exhilarating and Jillian to be “not as bad as I thought”.

Now, I feel I should mention- I didn’t follow any Jillian Michaels meal plan (or any other fitness guru meal plan or fit eating cookbook) and I didn’t do the program for 30 straight days, as in 30 day In A ROW. Um, no. Just no. I’m not that far over on the cray-cray scale. I know my body needs periods of rest. I'm old and I just started the first ever fitness journey of my life. I completely accept and embrace rest days. They are beautiful. I keep my workouts to 4 or 5 days a week max. The frugal side of me liked this plan as well-- it meant a dvd that would take a month to complete could now be stretched to last two months.

Beginning of July- starting the Shred. Down 11 lbs so far.

I spent the month of July with 30 Day Shred as my only workout, four to five days a week. I lost five pounds and quite a few inches (one whole dress size!). At this point, I had lost a grand total of 16 pounds. The clincher was that I could see a difference in my appearance, in how loose my clothes felt and it was so motivating!

In August, I decided to try running again. I floored myself by going for a two mile run (still a bit of a wog) my first time out. I wogged for 30 minutes. Unbelievable! Up until that time, I had never thought that was possible for me. This fit journey continually amazes me as I find out my body can do so much more than I had ever thought. And that right there has led to so many spiritual applications for me. Someone once said that the mind can be the weakest or strongest part of the body. I get that.

So August was a split between doing The Shred and running (when it wasn't blistering hot). By the end of August I ran 3.1 miles. I ran it in 43:29 minutes but the point is I ran the equivalent of a 5k. I was ecstatic (still am). Seriously- here's some perspective-- my first timed run was just under a mile (0.91) and it took me just under 18 minutes to do it. I was now running three times that!

That first three mile run taught me so much:

1. My body can do this

2. I liked doing it

3. Mile 1.2 to Mile 1.8 was the hardest part-- thee hard-EST

4. It emptied my mind and quieted me to a very focused point

5. The worship I had with Jesus was FANTASTIC

6. Did I mention I liked doing it?

I- the girl who hated running.... had voluntarily and victoriously ran 3.1 miles.

Whoa.

Mind blown.

By the end of August I had lost just over 20 pounds. I had surpassed the half way point to my main goal (losing 35 pounds). I was finally at a point where all this hard work and effort was becoming noticeable. A friend told me the following concerning weight loss, “You’ll notice a difference after you drop ten pounds but it takes a twenty pound loss before others will notice.” I have found this to be very true. And very motivating. The more differences I saw in me, the more I was able to push myself to keep going. This fit journey thing was really truly working! I now was at a weight I hadn't seen in ten years and more than that- I had energy, strength and stamina I can't ever remember feeling before!

By mid-September I had finished 30 Day Shred and continued to steadily run a bit over 3 miles (adding a little bit more with each run). I found I really enjoyed the strength training the workout dvd gave me and still didn't mind Jillian all that much.

So, after a bit more research to make sure I was still right, I plunked down another $9 and bought Ripped in 30 (now $7.99).

Once again, I must interject that I didn't do this workout series in 30 consecutive days. I stuck to mostly 3-4 days a week, two or three times on weeks where I ran more. And I should add- when I got to week 4 of the workout- after doing it for the first time.... I took two back-to-back days off from working out. I went for a walk- but man, I stayed away from anything that required arm muscles. Whew-wee that week 4 kicked my butt!

Let me also add this.... 30 Day Shred was a very, very good start to working out (and to Jillian) for me. If I had started with Ripped, I think I would have quit! But because I'd built up some strength and knowledge of workout moves (remember- total newbie here, to me burpees were what you call little burps. ahem. And what newbie would know what a crow push-up or.... eek.... a chaturanga push-up is and not want to cry after trying them?) I stuck with it. Over all, having done both- I prefer Ripped. There's more variety to the moves (I learned I'm not a fan of traditional jumping jacks), better warm ups and cool downs and the pace just seems faster. Plus I like moving to the next level in 7 days rather than 10. But I'm glad I started with Shred, got to know Jillian's style and worked my way up gradually to the Ripped dvd.

July 25 to Sept 20. Eleven pounds difference in these photos.
And the beard grew!

Basically, I stuck with Ripped and running all through September and October. Averaging 5 training days a week between the two.

By the end of October, I'd lost a total of thirty pounds and this girl was on fire.

And then came November.... and I turned 42.

Still interesting? One can hope.... here's the next post in this series.

Stay with me, folks.

I appreciate it.

My Fit Journey #3: Shin Splint Woes

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 02 Jan 2016 13:30:00 +0000

Catch up on the previous posts in the series by clicking here: My Fit Journey

Having never been a runner ever- E V E R, I started off with a wog (walk/jog) of one mile. It was difficult. Yes, I am serious. I disliked it immensely. Except for....

THE VIEW- my little route was part of a trail that started at the end of our backyard, through our south pasture, down the hill, over a little bridge and around the edge of a corn field before opening up to a wide trail through our beautiful woods. It’s a gorgeous view through and through.

Just a glimpse of one of the views of my run path.... Gorgeous!

This beautifulness was a motivator to get out and go.

I wogged a mile twice a week for two weeks then pushed it to 1.25 miles. Still a wog… never just a jog… always a bit of walking involved.

This (and seriously counting my calories) is how I managed to lose that first ten pounds.

And how I managed to keep the stresses of my life in check. Running was becoming a thing to me. Something I could do just for me, away from other pressing needs, phone calls, emails and my daily grind. I plodded down a dirt path, listening to my worship music, taking in the view and letting the rest just go….

This was a freedom from my crazy chaos that I never experienced before…. And I found I very much liked it. Not only was it a freedom, but I was beginning to realize the spiritual impact that was having on me—I was deepening my walk with God, talking with him as I listened to worship music, taking my quiet time to a completely different level.

It quite simply amazed me.

And then I got a shin splint.

I was in agony.

I tried to keep running. I was determined that I couldn’t quit now when I had made this such a worthwhile habit and was beginning to see physical and spiritual results….

Every run put me in more agony until the weekend when I could barely walk and the Mister informed me that in order to heal I had to take, at the very least, two weeks off from running.

Since I know myself pretty well, I knew if I took two weeks off I wouldn’t re-start.

Something had to be done.

So I bought a jump rope.

Someone should have told me that was a dumb move. The first two workouts were doable and then when I pushed it a bit more the shin splint pushed back.

Once again, something had to be done.

So I pulled my bike out of the garage and aired up the tires.

Can I just say here that my um, bottom was a bit bigger than when I bought the bike fifteen years ago? Yeah, that. I rode two miles that first time and when I hopped off the bike some rather unused and sensitive muscles in my glutes area gave the rest of me a very stern talking to…. I may have whimpered in response.

By this time I was in my fifth month of fighting to be fit. I was seeing the results and I couldn’t quit.

So biking it was… until July came. And it got blazing hot.

I was wilting and wavering.

The shin splint remained….

My commitment was in serious jeopardy.

And so it came to pass that I joined the masses of middle-aged women who own fitness dvds.

Oh yessssss.

I kid you not.

Stay with me ---> segment 4 is Right Here with even more interesting tidbits on how I kept at it, dropped more pounds, lost more inches and so much more! [just a wee bit of sarcasm intended right there *wink*]

My Fit Journey 2.0

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 31 Dec 2015 13:00:00 +0000

To get you up to speed read this first- My Biggest Brave.

Read it? Alrighty then....

Running.

It still wasn’t easy.

And I still hated it.

A friend asked me, “If you hate it so much, why are you doing it?”

My response, “Because I like how I feel when I’m done.”

A photo posted by Amy Wagner (@amyrwags) on Jun 5, 2015 at 5:28am PDT

My First Instagram of the Fit Journey

I feel the need to stop a moment to define my running style. I have dubbed what I do as a “wog”. Yep, Wog- walk/jog. I jog a bit, I walk a bit, I jog a bit, I walk a bit.

It’s a thing.

When I started, it was a whole lot more fast-walking than jogging but I was getting my heart rate up and my blood pumping.

This was good.

I bought my first ever set of workout clothes-- on sale, buy one piece get one 50% off (thank you Meijer for the bogo)- this was, after all, still a most tender, fragile project at this point- and I didn’t want to invest too much money in something I might not keep up.

After a couple of weeks, I invested myself more when bought earbuds and an armband for my phone and downloaded an app for tracking my runs.

I had crossed a line- I put money into making this happen.

I don’t like spending money on things that won’t last, even if it’s $50 or less. I have a quirk- I am not a yoga pants wearing mama. I always get dressed right after getting up. I just do. Lounging in my pjs on a Saturday morning is a rarity. It makes me feel…. Off. Now, no one else in this family of mine has this issue; they enjoy their leisure wear to the fullest. Like I said, it’s a quirk. So plopping down cold hard cash with a purpose that only exists in running/exercise made this very real.

I think I may have gotten a bit twitchy at this point but I was determined to make some serious changes.

And so I deepened my frail commitment.

And then I got a shin splint.

Stay with me- My Biggest Brave- My Fit Journey 3.0 is next!

click here ---> My Fit Journey for all the posts in this series

The Biggest Brave in my Year

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 30 Dec 2015 22:42:00 +0000

I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. I just don’t.

So of course, I wouldn’t make this decision until February.

Because January is just meant for a quiet ease into a new year- not dumping copious amounts of chaos and unreal expectations on yourself and loved ones. Blech.

Anyhoo- In February, I decided to do something about my health. Well, actually, in February I found my pants were fitting way to snug and that I am too cheap and vain to even consider buying a bigger pair. Even from a thrift store. I found myself pretty unhappy with the status of my pants vs. waist line situation. I realized, while sitting in worship service that I had a definite bulge in the tummy area when I sat…. so I tried to sit straighter. It didn’t go away. It was like a thick shelf and I found myself resting my arms on it. Ugh. I noticed the weight gain in pictures and after bravely teaching myself to embrace the camera, I began hiding from it once again. I did something I’d been avoiding…. I bought a scale. I normally add five pounds over the winter and shed them with more activity in the spring and summer and my weight from year to year (since having my boy- which was in 2004) had always fluctuated within a few pounds of the very end/edge of the healthy BMI status for my height and age. But the painful, pinching pants situation was making itself very known. The scale confirmed it. I weighed the same amount I did at nine months pregnant with my boy. And my BMI was officially in the overweight category.... way over- actually it was hanging tight to the edge of it, right to the edge of "obese."

Double Ugh.

Embracing Forty

I embraced 40 with gusto and felt the most comfortable in my skin that I had ever felt.

But 41 wasn’t fitting very well.

Not at all.

I was packing an extra 10 pounds from my previous heaviest weight. To say it was a depressing moment is a definite understatement. I told my husband, who is a very good man who truly loves me unconditionally. He asked me what I wanted to do about it.

Good man.

I told him I wanted to get rid of it.

He nodded and said, “Then do it.”

And that was it. No "here's what you need to do" or "I'm gonna train you" or "hey, don't eat that" or "shouldn't you be exercising" or any other such foolishness.... He left it to me to do something about and has applauded and cheered my every fitness goal accomplished.

Like I said- Good man.

And so it began...

Now- here’s the deal, I deeply love good food and I dislike sweating. I enjoy sleeping in and didn’t know how I was going to fit one more thing into my schedule. Even more than sweating- I hate running. HATE.

As a rule- I’ve always said there’s only two times you need to run—to the bathroom and from your enemies.

So running was out.

Period.

I started off with small changes to my diet- using a smaller plate at dinner and introducing even more salads and fish. I knew that diet alone wasn’t going to do this, so I started looking into an exercise program that I could do at home, in a half hour or less, that wouldn’t cost much. I actually had an exercise video that I’d been doing a couple of years ago and so I started with that.

I started T-Tapping again.
With a resolve and determination that I lacked the first time....

And it worked.

Sorta.

After one of my 1st runs...

I felt better and had more energy so I knew I was on the right track but it became apparent that this wasn’t enough. I lost a few inches in my body measurements but my weight wouldn’t go down. Oh, it would drop a pound or two but then I’d gain it back. And I was staying faithful to doing T-Tapp. Five days a week. Dropping a few inches was nice but it wasn't enough- I knew I needed something to rev my metabolism so that I could shed actual poundage.

And so it was- in late spring when we were in high gear with Lu’s graduation, college applications and all that- with my stress level increasing daily… that I stepped out the back door and took off on a run.

Oh you heard that right.

The girl who hates running with a passion- went for a run.

And then another

And another.

And I found in six weeks time that I had dropped 10 pounds.

But even better than that I had an outlet for the stress.

I'm finding as I write out this journey that it's become quite long so I'm going to be breaking it up into segmented posts. Which means.... more posts from me! After such a dry spell, y'all are gonna be inundated!

>>> stay tuned for My Fit Journey 2

A Notice of Sorts

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 28 Dec 2015 14:00:00 +0000

Perhaps it went unnoticed…

I took a few months off from writing (okay, quite a few).

At first it was unintentional- I was just too busy finishing up the school year, taking care of farm and family and getting Lu ready for graduation plus planning and throwing a fun and fabulous grad bash.

I just didn’t have the time.

And then the words just dried up.

There was so much going on and so much I’ve been learning and experiencing.

In the midst of an experience, I would think- Oh, I should blog about this.

But I wouldn’t stop to take the time to do it.

And then I began to think about the seasons of my life and perhaps this was a season of quiet in my writing and blogging. God gave me peace about that- so the silence remained.

However- I miss writing.

And so here I am, attempting to put words to paper and share them once again.

I still don’t know how often I’ll be popping on here to share some scribbling…. In all probability, it’ll be just as sporadic as ever.

I’m quirky like that.

Now that we’ve dispensed with the pleasantries- let’s chat…

I’m in the thick of the tail end of My Year of Being Brave.

And it’s good.

Real good.

Who knew that stretching yourself out of your comfort zone would be so freeing and fun?!

I like being comfortable.

Seriously.

But this bravery thing- I think it’s going to be sticking around.

It’s good for me.

And I’m reflecting on my measures of bravery….

Some of my braves this year- cooking and eating new foods, learning not to avoid confrontation but to do so in a loving and gentle manner, speaking more openly and with great sincerity to friends and family about Jesus (I’ve always been pretty open but I’m seeking new opportunities with different people), pulling out of our lovely little homeschool group we’ve been a part of since we started this schooling journey (that was a serious hard decision), joining a new homeschool group, working against my introvertedness and increasing my circle of influence/friendships (still with great care- and not without a fair amount of trepidation), starting a couple of mentorships, seeking my own mentor in a more defined capacity, living through a remodeling and addition project on the house (it’s still in the process and if you’ve never done this before you really don’t realize how brave you have to be to maintain your sanity…), hosting a farm camp for some young girls, growing my little bitty photography business a little bit more (honestly- this is a pretty big brave for me... I'm doing "paid work" again!), letting go of my Lu in bigger ways, saying no and striving to give my Best Yeses (saying NO is a big brave for this continually reforming people pleaser), learning and experiencing the bravery in giving and receiving grace (oh what an experience this has been!), speaking boldly when feeling led to, not backing away from a disagreement because it makes me uncomfortable but meeting it head on, bravely asking God to take me deeper, dreaming big brave dreams for our farm with My Sweet Man….

When I reflect, my eyes are open to a myriad of ways I’ve been brave.

And yet, I’m avoiding sharing one of my biggest braves of the year with you.
Taking control of my health and fitness.
Oy.

I’ll be back to tell that brave story soon… ish.

Yes. I'm still here. Sorta. Barely.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 16 Jun 2015 18:30:00 +0000

Oh my…. No posts since March!

Forgive the long absence, please.

Oh, pretty please!

We’ve been livin’ life to the fullest ‘round here and it became very apparent over the last few months that writing and blogging needed to be set to the side for awhile.

We’ve had so much going on…. So much I’ve wanted to share. So much so that now it’s all too much to share!

We finished school a few weeks ago, which isn’t nearly the big deal when you consider this…

Lucy Graduated.

Yes. She did.

With Highest Honors.

We're so stinkin' proud of her!

And we threw a real hum-dinger of a party for our Lucy Girl.

Towards the end of the party.... when we turned the pretty lights on and right before the fireworks....

Lu's Grad Party was a lovely affair... vintage themed with hankie banners, book page garlands, blue Ball jars of flowers and lots of old books.

And pie.

Oh yes.... we had Graduation Pie.

To say it was hit is an understatement.... [hoping to share more of her lovely party soonish!]

And Madsy started driver’s training at the same time we were party preppin'....

And we got the garden in a couple weeks before the shindig. Oh yes, we did increase the size of the garden again. And even added a pumpkin patch, behind the barn close to the swamp, where the ground is nice and damp...

Whoo wee, have we been busy!

Let me give you a few highlights…

We welcomed three new friends to the farm in April.

Meet Peppa Breakfast, Paco Lunch and Abraham Dinner. [Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner were my idea… the first names were from the three kiddos.]

We absolutely love these piggies. They are so fun and friendly. However, we are all quite aware that their real reason for being here is BACON.

Amen.

We also welcomed a plethora of baby chicks to the farm in March and April. Oh yes- fifteen new little ladies of various breeds. We’ve added more Dominiques plus a couple of Easter Eggers (Araucanas), an Isa Brown and Rhode Island Red and two Australorps.

We did some more farm projects…

Such as build this very small chicken coop for the tween-ager chicks. (Since there isn't enough room for 20+ chickens of all sizes in our coop.)

I painted the front door >>>

Both Sides.

The new color makes me so very HAPPY!

And I started painting the kitchen cabinets.... which are still "in process" three months later. School and graduation plans pretty much took precedence over every other project 'round here this spring....

I hope to finish those cabinets before the end of the month.... but who knows.

We're gearing up for another big farm project- finishing my parents' Little House. We'll be starting the excavating for the bathroom/mudroom addition in the next couple of weeks. We're excited and yet not...

for the new addition, for another bathroom YES! Excited!

For all the dirt and debris and chaos- not. Nope. Nada.

My mama and I (as well as the kiddos) are praying ahead about our attitudes for this building project. May we count it all joy.

Hoping I'll have bits and pieces of time to snap some shots of the progress as it, well.... progresses!

Welcoming the seasons

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 18:58:00 +0000

I am in love with welcoming each new season here at the farm.

Truly in love.

The experiences have been enlightening and delightful.

I am feeling the seasons differently here on the farm. Yes, feeling them. Welcoming them, enjoying them.... With each season comes it's own set of farm plans and goals and we find we pay more attention to the weather and what it means for gardens, land and animals.... I find that I like that.

Sometimes we race the weather to finish projects and other times we pray for it to stick around.... I like that we pay more attention. I like that at times it dictates what jobs/chores get done one day to the next.

And other times, not so much.

The only barn still standing on the property.... Summer 2014 above and then this past winter below

I can wax poetic on farm living all the live long day but I also am very aware of the not so bright and shiny side of things. Of ruined crops and delayed harvests, of animal suffering and passing... I grew up here and my memories of farm life are of hardship and scratching out a living and my dad shaking his head at it all. It wasn't very sunshiny much in my memory. And yet, I also remember the feel of riding in the combine, of feeding a newborn piglet, of riding on the side of the tractor or on top of the bales of hay in the big hay wagon, of standing at the edge of a field of corn that we put there.
I remember it felt like we were doing battle to be able to farm here and we were losing. I remember long hours and late nights for my dad.... much effort with little reward. Yet, I don't think he'd want me to think of it with all that gloom attached. Because, really Dad still loves farming.

And he loves that we've moved here and are turning this place back into a "real" farm again... and that he gets to be a part of it all. He also loves how my kids love this land and that he has a generation living here that is eager to start this whole farming process all over again....

Crazy how this life of mine has circled around back to this place....

It's a crazy I'm embracing.

Same space but now this farm gig feels different. The world of labels would stick us with the moniker hobby farmers. For one, we don't depend on farming for our livelihood like my dad did and for another, we're a rather teeny tiny operation. We're not self-sustaining or off-the-grid or any of that business. We don't sell our produce or butcher our own animals.... But who cares? This is Adventure! Living out a day dream that the whole family dreams!

We're farming.

The rest are just adjectives.

Celebrating St. Patrick's Day in our homeschool and home

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 11 Mar 2015 20:51:00 +0000

Perhaps it's because it comes at the end of long winters, darker days and we may be wallowing in the midst of the tail end of the winter doldrums but ever since we started homeschooling in 2006, we've celebrated St. Patrick's Day with our own bits of fun, in our own very American Midwestern way.

I thought I'd share a few of our favorite St. Paddy's Day things with y'all.

Our Favorite Books: (Click book for link)

This one is just too funny.... and you may want to make pancakes while you're reading it. And since it's St. Patrick's Day, you may want to make green chocolate chip pancakes. Just sayin'.

For your listening pleasure:
We really enjoy a good audio book at our house and this collection of Irish Folklore doesn't disappoint. I think the piratey Grace O'Malley story is still our all time favorite.

When the kiddos were littler, we added in some fun worksheets to our school day. You can find a slew of printables for St. Patrick's Day on Pinterest.
Here are a few fun ones:
How To Catch A Leprechaun writing activity
Write a Limerick worksheet
And here's a whole History of St. Patrick's Day unit study [PreK-K]
A St. Patrick's Day Trivia Quiz for middle schoolers
A wonderful 5 day unit study from Knowledge Quest on St. Patrick
A seriously cool rainbow themed science experiment
And this experiment using Skittles is super cool- even for high schoolers (possibly because they also get to eat the leftover Skittles)

Decorations....
Again- Pinterest has a plethora of pretty pins for this. I'm all about keeping it simple.
For example, I'm a fan of this oldie but a goodie- the science project turned decoration with white carnations and green dye.... but here's a few more simple yet crafty fun ideas:
Paper Strip Shamrocks
A pretty candle centerpiece with dried split peas

Here's a link to lots my wonderfulness on my St. Patrick's Day Pinterest Board
And here's a post I did a few years ago about our celebrations including my attempt at rainbow jello desserts.... let's just say- t i m e c o n s u m i n g.

It can't really be St. Patrick's Day at our house without a showing of this- our all time favorite "Irish" John Wayne Movie.... [Guess what? It's on Netflix right now!]

As for food.... now there's some real fun. It's easy-peasy to add green food coloring to a few good dishes.
For breakfast we've had: green (scrambled) eggs and ham, green oatmeal and green pancakes. Or even Lucky Charms Cereal!
Lunch: Bubble and Squeak (scalloped potatoes and ham)
Supper: Irish Beef Stew or Shepherd's Pie.... and yes we've even had corned beef and cabbage (but I gotta say, not a fan.)
With Irish Soda Bread [a boxed mix from Aldi. Sigh. I heart Aldi.]
And dessert: Mint Chocolate Chip Shakes of course!
Or Grasshopper Pie.
Ahem, I just found this recipe right here for grasshopper poke cake. I think that's our dessert for St. Patrick's 2015.

Want to get fancier? More involved? Here's a link to 50 different Irish Recipes for St. Patrick's Day

We don't hold much with "luck" 'round these parts... instead we count our blessings. Which is a good habit to be in, really. And so with that- I'll leave you with this snippet of an Irish blessing...

May God hold you in the palm of His hand until next we meet again.

Winter Farm Update aka Our First Farm Winter

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 14:40:00 +0000

[Forgive me Dear Readers... this post has been sitting in my draft box for 2 months.... and here I am posting just a couple of weeks before the 1st day of Spring... sigh.]

We had a three day blizzard in November and then a green Christmas. Crazy.

The chickens, which are usually all buttoned up in the coop for the duration of winter enjoyed many days free-ranging in the yard. Which is good because temperatures dipped sharply with the new year and they’re closed off in the coop with a heat lamp again.
We’re using the deep litter method, which means we’re not cleaning out the coop…. which means it’s smelling pretty ripe.
Good thing I’ve got 3 kiddos to feed and water and gather eggs.

Winter shows us the truly amazing blessing of our outdoor wood burner. Oh yes. It’s -11 degrees out right now and a balmy 74 degrees in the house.
My boy is in short sleeves and none of us are wearing socks.
It’s a bit to get use to after living 20 years in a drafty century-plus old house that we kept only as high as 66 degrees during the day…. And 64 degrees at night.
Sometimes it gets too warm and we have to open a window.
The other plus is no heat bill. None of us really mind the trek out to the wood stove because all of us enjoy the benefits of wood heat…. We feel the difference!
Downside- we need to be mindful to dress warmer when going out and about away from the farm.

And you know what they say about heating with wood…. It warms you twice. Once when you cut it and again when you burn it.

A few weeks ago it was so bitterly cold that the remaining water in the chicken waterer froze in the time it took for Lu to walk the 40 yards from the coop to the house. So we’re thankful for the heat lamp we have going 24/7 in the coop to keep the water frost-free.

We had the most amazing hoarfrost too. I enjoyed a sunrise hike around the property that morning. Everything coated in fuzzy frost. Breathtaking.

Shoveling is a lot more work here at the farm than it was in town. We expected it and for the most part we welcome the exercise and diversion from schoolwork. It helps that I’ve finally perfected my homemade hot cocoa recipe. It only took me two years. [My secret ingredient is instant chocolate pudding powder…. A tip from my sister.]

It does help that for our first farm winter we only have chickens to look after.

Our 7 remaining chickens are doing quite well. Egg production has been down the last couple of days with the extreme cold but we’re not hurting for eggs. We’re adding unpasteurized apple cider vinegar (ACV) to the waterer twice a week to help keep our hens healthy and the kids like to pull their favorites out of the coop for some lovin’ and hugs every so often. When the weather warms up into the 30's we let them out to free range again for a few hours a day. Which seems to combat their cabin fever. We also make sure they get some good treats often…. Like these mealworms that we have renamed Chicken Crack for obvious reasons—the hens straight up LOVE the stuff. We add a couple handfuls to the feeder which also helps to keep the ladies eating well. We make sure they get our fresh fruit and veggie leftovers and even give them their very own cabbage every couple of weeks or so. The cabbage is not only nutritious but also provides “fun play” for the chickens because we hang it from a string…. It’s like a cabbage piñata.

We sent all three roosters and three of our hens (that had stopped laying) to the processor back at the beginning of December and now our freezer has some of our very own farm-raised meat in it. We’re pretty proud of that. We've cooked up a couple of the hens already along and served them with some of our own canned pickles and apple sauce. It was almost a complete from farm to table meal. We're looking forward to a true farm to table meal later this summer.

In other farm news, I placed the biggest seed order for me ever a few weeks ago. The seeds arrived the end of January and I'm in the process of plotting the planting and starting of it all. I'm over-the-top excited. Our garden is going to be the biggest it's ever been. We’re going bigger in some areas and smaller in others. For example, 37 tomato plants was really too much. Really. But the Zinnias… one can never have enough flowers. Never.

I’m also going to try my hand at winter-sowing. I’ve been doing a lot of online reading about it and am saving our milk jugs. I'm hoping it goes well. I'll try to keep you posted.

So there you have it…. Our first farm winter. Even though the farm seems to be fast asleep under a blanket of snow there is always stuff going on and needing doing.
And of course, we like it that way.

Let's talk Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 11 Feb 2015 14:42:00 +0000

So I just realized that I never really shared about the coop and chickens here.
Our first foray into farming and I've been remiss in giving it its proper place here.
Oops.

Sometimes we've been known to do things a bit backwards.
Like buying chickens before we have a farm.
Or even a coop to put them in.

Lucky for us, my parents didn't mind chicken sitting until we got things squared away.

It all started with a box from Meyer Hatchery.
A box containing sixteen of the cutest little Dominque pullets (a chick that is a hen) you ever did see.
Now, we didn't take all sixteen to live in my parents basement (that's where our brooder was). Nope, we split the purchase 50/50 with my brother (who already had a coop but not enough room for all those chicks.)

Why Dominiques?
A few very good reasons, they are a rare heritage breed and we like the idea of helping to keep this breed alive. This breed was one of the first breeds established in America. Dominiques are heat and cold tolerant (perfect for Michigan's weather) and very sweet birds. They're also great egg layers, staying pretty consistent to daily laying (except during molting).
Our Ladies, as we affectionately call them, quickly became like pets to the family. The kids took to holding and snuggling them right away, so the ladies have always been a friendly bunch.
We also gave them names: Beulah, Bernie, Dixie, Gertrude, Louise, Mabel, Omelet and Sunny. And the kids each quickly found a favorite chicken. Lu's favorite is Beulah, who just so happens to be the bossy leader of the group (go figure). Mads took to Dixie who is just the sweetest of the sweet, just like our Mads. And The Boy, well, he can't just settle for one, so Omelet and Louise found themselves being carted around and looked after quite often. They tolerate him very well.

The ladies have been great layers for us as we averaged 7 eggs a day that first year (I know, someone's not laying but we've never really figured out who).
Once we moved here we began free ranging them for periods during the day and putting them to roost in the coop at night. They love to follow us around when we're outside and if you're weeding in the garden, they'll fight over who can be closest to you and get the grubs, worms and bugs.

Chickens do their best laying the first year and then begin to taper off. From our chicken research, we found hens lay well for the first two to three years and you should be purchasing your next set of layers during the 2nd year so you're never without hens producing eggs. Our original plan was to buy 8 more Dominiques in February of 2015.

About a month before we moved to the farm we purchased six more chickens. Our local Tractor Supply Company Store (TSC) was having a sale on the very last day they were selling chicks. A buck a piece. The Mister and The Boy had to stop and check them out. Had. To. The chicks were straight run (which means you don't know if you're getting hens or roosters) and The Boy picked three Barred Rocks and three Welsummers with great anticipation.
And a couple months later we found out we had 3 hens and 3 roosters.
Three LOUD roosters.
But also 3 very beautiful roosters. Two Barred Rocks named Silas and Seamus and the most gorgeous Welsummer named Benedict by Lu (who as thinking Benedict Cumberbatch and Eggs Benedict. Win, win in her book).
The girls were named Esmerelda, Beatrice and Henrietta. Bea is Mads' favorite and Hettie has all of The Boy's affection. Hettie is a Barred Rock; Ezzie & Bea are the most lovely Welsummers.
We have become completely smitten with the Welsummer breed. They lay the most beautiful, speckled dark brown eggs and love to forage in the yard. [I believe these two are responsible for the ruination of two of our pumpkins while we were gone on a day trip last fall.] Welsummers are also a rare breed but not a heritage breed as they are a considered relatively new breed introduction to North America. The breed is most well known for the rooster, which is the mascot on the Kellogg's Cornflake cereal box.

All three breeds get along well together. Well, I should say all three breeds of hens get along. We had to remove Silas and Seamus to a makeshift coop of their own as they didn't get on well with Benedict and were always picking fights with each other as well.
And we don't need three roosters.
We don't even really need one rooster at this point since we aren't planning on hatching our own eggs at this point.

Benedict and Esmeralda

Barred Rocks are considered a dual purpose breed, raised for both eggs and meat. So Silas and Seamus had their days numbered from the get-go. Late last fall we also discerned that three of our Dominiques were not laying anymore and we were fed up with Benedict's shenanigans (even if he was gorgeous). So we took all three roosters and the three Dominique hens to a local processor for butchering. I gotta say the Mister and I were pretty geeked to bring home our first farm raised meat. AND the butchering cost was low. Just under $17 for six chickens. [We chose whole chicken butchering. It would have been a bit more money if we wanted the meat in pieces.]

This next week we'll be putting in our order for a new batch of Dominiques that will eventually (this summer) replace our first batch of layers. The kiddos have also talked us into ordering three "fun" chicks. One for each of them. Sammer wants what he calls an "afro" chicken- known to most others as the Polish breed. Mads wants an Easter Egger and Lu hasn't made up her mind yet. She's still pouring over the catalog and making notes.

We asked each kiddo to research their chicken breed to make sure they were cold and heat tolerant, behave nicely, lay medium to large eggs on a regular basis and get along well with other breeds.

The Mister and my Boy are already making plans to scoop up a few more chicks on the last sale day at our local farm store, probably around the end of April. They just can't help themselves. So plans are also underway to build a small chicken tractor that we can move around the yard this summer and fall to help with fertilizing and to help give us more room for chickens until we butcher again.

In hindsight, we should have built our original coop bigger.... and now I have a better understanding as to why farmers always say, pick the size you want to build and double it.

Gonna remember that one-- because a lean-to for cows is next on our build list.

New 2015 Menu Plan Printable.... for free!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 20:15:00 +0000

I’ve been menu planning for well over ten years. It is my go to for staying organized and frugal. I may let some other things slide but my menu plan stays. It keeps me sane.

The last couple of years, I created and refined my menu plan printables.

Last year I made a pretty plan for each month of the year and shared them on the blog.

I loved those pretty printables!
[And they can still be found here]

And then found that I wasn’t really using the breakfast and lunch portions of it. We’ve streamlined our breakfasts into 3 or 4 daily options during the week and my man cooks big manly breakfasts on the weekend. Being creatures of habit- we have a big breakfast of eggs, potatoes and bacon (or sausage) on Saturdays and our family favorite Coco Wheats with dried cranberries on Sunday. Like I said, we’re creatures of habit and we like it that way.

Lunches are leftovers or sandwiches (deli meats, pbj or Lu’s fancy grilled cheese) or something else we plan on or pull out of the pantry (such as canned soups and canned ravioli).

So I really didn’t need all those squares I created on my printables…. Wasted space.

I started looking online at other menu plans and didn’t see anything close to what I wanted. I decided I just needed to design a new planning page. However, our family computer with the program I used to create the other plans is “in the shop.” Not one to be daunted or to be patient, I decided to forge ahead and create my own using a bit of the hand-lettering skills I’ve been practicing and trying to acquire. [Part of my Year of Brave]

I found it to be an entertaining and rewarding experience. I’m not terribly adept at hand-lettering yet, so I had lots of rough drafts. But perseverance and a lot of erasing paid off and I created something I was so thrilled with that I was willing to share it here.

Right here…. With all of you.

2015 Weekly Menu Plan Printable by Amy Wagner

The perfectionist in my finds all the faults but the artist bubbling inside me loves the wonky, off-kilter scritchy-scratch of it all. It’s me to a T.

So I’m being brave and putting it out there for you all to not only see but download and use for your very selves.

A bit of my wonkiness for your very own.

Ha!

Farmhouse Projects: Hallway Update

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 13:33:00 +0000

As I mentioned in Monday's post, we haven't completely finished any of our rooms to the point where I can really say, "This room is done." I wonder if we ever will.

Doesn't Murphy's Law say something along the lines of when you get a room completely done you're tastes will have change and you'll want to repaint? Ha!

Today I want to update you on the hallway as this is one of our best transformations so far.

When we started it looked like this:

And now it looks like this:

Once it was this...

Now it is this>

This is when we started peeling that 30's wallpaper...

This is now>

For the full BEFORE and beginnings post- go here.

Let's keep smiling and looking at the NOW version>>>

Doors open.... no windows in this hallway. Natural lighting only when we open all the doors.
I like natural lighting, so I like open doors. Except when people don't make their beds.
or clean their rooms...

Close up of the wall between the doors.... a piece of painted barn wood, tiny basket and a reminder...
Today is a GOOD DAY!

View up the stairs- green paint is our dining room paint (the room you walk into at the
bottom of the stairs) As you can see- I still need to paint those stairs. Thinking dark
grey treads and white kickboards.

We still haven’t figured out the ceiling but I’ve decided to stop waiting for that to start hanging artwork. The painting of the girl with the daisies belonged to my grandmother. She asked that it be given to me when she passed. She said it always reminded her of my mama as a toddler. For me, it always reminded me of my little cousin Jenny (who passed away when she was three). The photo to below left of the daisy painting is an aerial view of our farm circa late 50’s (we think) when my great grandparents were still alive and running this place. We love looking at the way things use to be and contemplating where we'll place new out buildings based on what once was.

I still haven’t figured out what I want to put on the other walls in the hallway and I’m okay with that. I'm learning to take my time and envision the space. I'd planned a gallery wall on the longest wall but I'm hesitating because I like the quiet, simplicity of nothing right now. Lu has suggested a big mirror on the stairway wall to reflect some light into the space. I'm still noodling that one.

We ripped up the old 1970s carpet on the floor… that red carpet was from my childhood church when they redid the sanctuary in the early-80s. It was so old the underside was disintegrating as I pried it up. Ew. I had hoped to find time to sand the floor and paint it but then our house finally sold and we were all about the move and settling in. It’s on my list for projects this spring (on a day I can ship my people away). In the meantime, we purchased four very inexpensive runners from Menards to keep us from getting wood splinters.

We brightened up the light fixture by taking the very dated cover off and adding a wonderfully bright Ikea bulb to it. Yep, it’s a bare bulb up there. I’m okay with that right now. I haven’t settled on a light fixture yet, as I find it to be a big (and expensive) decision. So we’re still working on that one.

Project List- Hallway Phase One:

~~Scrape wallpaper off all walls we can get to~~

~~Patch walls where needed~~

~~Sand patches on walls smooth~~

~~Prime walls~~

~~Prime trim~~

~~Prime doors (still have 1 left)~~

~~Prime railing and banister~~

~~Prime Beadboard panels on stairs~~

~~Paint walls- Gray Owl by Benjamin Moore~~

Paint ceiling- an off white color (tbd)

~~Paint doors, trim and railing- Superhide White by Dutch Boy~~

~~Paint beadboard panels & top of railing- Cement Gray~~

~~Finish tearing plaster off short wall~~ (not seen in photos)

~~Replace and repair plaster on short wall~~

~~Rip up carpeting~~

Sand floor to prep for paint
Paint floor with dark grey porch paint (color to be determined)
Paint stairs- treads dark grey and kick boards white

Replace overhead light with something more in line with our decorating style (and something that holds 2-3 bulbs to give off more light in this dark space-- This might get moved to Phase 2)

~~Repaint switch plate- Rustoleum's Hammered Bronze~~

Add a gallery wall on west wall

~~Add carpet runner to floor~~

As you can see-- we are so so close to being done with Phase One!

Project cost breakdown (so far):

1-2-3 Primer: $22.63 (finished can used in master bedroom and used about 1/3 of new can)

Dutch Boy Platinum Paint in BM's Gray Owl (2 gallons- used 1.5): $49.96

Dutch Boy Platinum Paint in Superhide White (leftover from other projects) $0

Dutch Boy Duraclean Paint in MSL's Cement Gray (1 pint): $11.90

Partial sheet of drywall (purchased for Sam’s room and used leftover on short wall repair) $3.27

Joint Compound (we’re on our 3^rd bucket) I’m estimating $7.00

Four carpet runners $24.98 (our for now, to-get-by purchase to be replaced in Phase 2)

Running total >>> $119.74

So.... what do you think?

Farmhouse Projects.... Update

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 15:19:00 +0000

I’ve been meaning to update for awhile now on a few of our farmhouse projects… but reality and my need for perfection keep getting in the way. For example: the fact that we haven’t finished painting the ceiling in the upstairs hallway because we’re having trouble with the very old wallpaper some well-meaning person pasted on it and then painted over… multiple times. And since we hadn’t finished painting, I hadn’t hung any artwork yet… and that was bothering me.

Top of the built-in China Cabinet in dining room (first post here)

I haven’t shared the dining room because I wanted to hang more pictures and artwork and get those school books out of the bookshelf in there because it looks… distracting.

I haven’t shared the family room because I wanted to do a paint treatment on a bookcase, plus add another bookcase to the other side of the buffet (being used as an entertainment center) for balance and storage, not to mention- hang more artwork and our flat screen tv on the walls.

I haven’t shared the schoolroom because we’re in the thick of doing school and it is most definitely not neat and tidy... it’s closer to disaster status. Plus I still have unpacked boxes in there. It’s bad, people.

Madsy's side of girls' room.

Lu's bedside artwork- She did hoop art & I did the map.

And the bedrooms… I haven’t showed you finished bedrooms because they’re not quite finished yet totally being lived in. Ahem.

However, I’m working hard at letting go of perfectionism and working to only share the ideal portions of this crazy, blessed life I’m privileged to live.

So I’m going to update you where we’re at right now… starting with the hallway.

Because this is real life and real life isn’t about perfection, it’s about learning to live in the midst of the process of becoming. Every room is in stages of becoming and probably always will be. Kinda like me.

Girls' Room and The Boy's Room- Curtains made by Lu.

And if I’m going to really embrace The Nester mantra, “It doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful,” well, then I should just share where we’re at right now. And tag on “It doesn’t have to be a finished room to make a happy home.”

So I've included glimpses of our farmhouse in this post.... happy bits of finished-ness that make me smile lots. Like the curtains my Lu has made, the hoop art the girls and I are making to add to their walls. Mads' word CREATE. It so fits her.... My home isn't finished and I doubt it ever will be but it makes me oh-so-very-beyond-tickled happy. I'm content here and that's so important to me. I feel like I abide here, not just reside. It's okay that it's taking me a long time to finish things because I don't want to rush this nesting and settling in; this is my process of abiding here.
And I like it.
So why shouldn't I share it in all it's unfinished glory? Show you what I'm enjoying, what I'm working on and reflect on far we've come?
I'm gonna do it!

So stay tuned for a picture-laden post of what the hallway looks like now.
And just so you know.... I couldn't stand it anymore- I hung a couple things on the walls.

This afternoon lighting is so swoony.
That's my Great Gram's quilt, a painting handed down to me from my Grandma and an aerial photo of the farm in the early 50's.

Brave Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 22 Jan 2015 21:10:00 +0000

I love a good fresh homemade just-out-of-the-oven loaf of bread.

Homemade bread is the best because the smell hits your tummy before the sight fills your eyes.

I was never one to bake bread until I received a bread machine for my birthday years and years ago. With the bread machine I became a bread baker.
And loved it.
I usually skipped those recipes that were just making dough in the machine because I wanted the machine to do all the work for me. I guess it just didn’t feel convenient.

Fast forward quite a few years and I’m working my way towards a Miss Suzie Homemaker badge…. I’m canning, cooking more from scratch and making my own cleaning and laundry supplies…. yeah, I’m a bit wonky like that.
Because really, honestly, I groove on making my own stuff. I started because financially we needed to tighten the purse strings but I continue to because I truly enjoy doing it and have found it really doesn’t take that much more time.
Really

So I decided to start using my bread machine just for prepping the dough.
And I like it.
A lot.

[Example: This pizza dough recipe is the bomb.]

But I’ve still shied away from what I deem “fancy breads”.
Until now… with it being my Year of Brave, I decided to brave the making of some fancy bread.

Brioche

Actually, Chocolate Chip Brioche

Whoo wee.

I searched online for bread machine recipes for the fancy bread and adapted my own recipe from what I found.

And I made it.

And it’s seriously yummy, as in the-family-couldn’t-stop-eating-it yummy.
Not only is it a yummy tasting fancy bread, it looks like a yummy tasting fancy bread.

Beautiful!
Yep, it’s a keeper.

Chocolate Chip Brioche in the Bread Machine

Add ingredients to bread machine in order listed, per your machine’s instructions:

1/3 cup water (room temperature)

1/3 cup milk

3 eggs lightly beaten

1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened and cut into small pieces

½ cup sugar

4 cups flour

1 tsp salt

2 ½ tsp bread machine yeast (dry active yeast)

2/3 cup chocolate chips-- Add at “extras” part of bread cycle or in your machine if you have a spot for “extras” like I do (some machines beep to let you know it’s time to add extras and some, like mine, have a compartment for adding your extras at the very beginning)

Egg Wash (to be added right before baking)

Follow the instructions for your bread machine’s dough cycle. For my machine, I select dough cycle, add extras and 1 pound loaf on the control panel and hit start. I love how the machine does all the work for me. Towards the end of the cycle prep your baking sheet by greasing it and dusting with flour.

When the dough cycle is complete, remove the dough and place on a lightly floured surface.

Brioche dough is very sticky so make sure you’ve floured your hands as well! Knead the dough a bit to work in some flour and combat the stickiness then divide it into two equal balls of dough. Using your hands, roll each ball into a 20 inch dough rope.

Place your dough ropes side by side on the greased and floured baking sheet (that you prepped earlier) and braid/twist them together, forming the twisted bread dough into a circle at the same time.

Cover the dough ring with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place until double in size, usually about 30-45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Make egg wash. [To make egg wash: whisk one egg, add in 2 tablespoons water and whisk until well blended.]

After dough has doubled in size, using a pastry brush, lightly brush the brioche dough with the egg wash.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until brioche is golden brown.

Enjoy!

Brave Scripture for a Bold New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 17:29:00 +0000

A Word of the Year should always have some scripture behind it and I've got a nice assortment of B R A V E verses to encourage me this year.

Here are a few...

Wait for the LORD;

Be strong and let your heart take courage;

Yes, wait for the LORD.

Psalm 27:14

In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence,

And his children will have refuge.

Proverbs 14:26

So that we confidently say,

“The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.

What can man do to me?”

Hebrews 13:6

Therefore let us draw near with confidence

to the throne of grace,

so that we may receive mercy

and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:16

I also typed "brave" into Pinterest and got such an interesting assortment of loveliness that I started a board just for my 2015 Word.

Go here to see the whole board

Which led me to finding Habakkuk 3:19, which rocked my world and spoke right to the deepest parts of me.

So I created a little bit of something from it >>>

The scripture is pulled from the Amplified Bible. He makes me to walk-- to walk! I can walk through whatever comes, I do not have to stand frozen in fright or cower in fear. He will make me to walk and he will walk me through all my whatevers. I don't have to be brave the way the world says "Be Brave" because God is my personal bravery. I am brave because He is my brave.

Amen.

And just in case this scripture tugs at your heart like it does mine -- you can print if for your very own right here. For Free.

Let's Be Brave!

2015 Word of the Year: BRAVE

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 20 Jan 2015 19:46:00 +0000

I wanted it to be the Year of the word Dwell or Abide (even though I’ve had that one before…. It would be nice to revisit it again). I wanted a word that soaked in the simple fact of being here at the farm, of growing this big dream and enjoying this place God has given us. I wanted to dwell richly…
and I’ll even cop to a desire to wallow here in this place.
To just enjoy what we’ve been given.
But no such peaceful, quiet, simple Word of the Year was to be mine for 2015.
Nope.

Instead, God quite firmly spoke to me in my wallowing and gave me my Word of the Year.
To which I said, “No. Please, no. I want to dwell. I want to abide. I want to wallow! Your Word is going to require work and pain and patience... I just know it will require a lot of me. Maybe too much of me, Lord and I don’t want it.”

Yeah, I whined just a wee bit.
Good thing He's a God who hears, who knows, who is patient with such a wretch as I.
He wouldn't let me turn from it. I could not get away from the push and tug of it. God has pushed it at me for weeks and weeks now and I have submitted. I am accepting it fully. I want to say, "accepting with reservations." But my reservations don't matter, because I have decided to embrace this word, because it's His.

2015 is the Year of BRAVE

And God’s already been talking to me about what that entails….
That it's so much more than....

Being brave is adventurous, except when it’s braver to not be.

It’s loud and in charge and stepping out, except when it’s quiet, meek, and following.

It’s tough and courageous, except when it’s soft, malleable and mild.

It’s “stiff upper lip” except when it’s braver to weep until you've got nothing left.

It’s about climbing that big, tall, scary mountain and all the adrenalin and spiritual high that brings, except when it’s about sitting in the valley and fully experiencing what comes, fully…. Moment by moment and believing through it all that God still reigns supreme.

It’s the quiet, deeper parts of being brave that are making my knees rattle.

Too often I think brave is about doing, going forth and conquering when it’s apparent that brave is also about being… being still, listening, going nowhere and allowing yourself to be conquered.

Because it’s the very bravest you can be when you give God complete and conquering control of whatever you possess.

It’s about me trying out some new things>>>

Like making fancy brioche bread (Recipe coming soon!)

And other new recipes

Or keeping at this hand-lettering thing I started

And creating

Or making art just for the sake of making

Stepping out in new ministries and the bravery to step out of the one God is calling me from

And being brave about other things>>>

Like my Lu graduating…

And starting college in the fall

Mads turning 15….

And taking drivers ed in the summer

And the Boy, my Sam, finishing 5^th grade…

Which means middle school in the fall

Like stepping away from our homeschool group

…. that we’ve been with for ten years, because God said it’s time and I have to be brave and just do it

And it’s about the continuing brave that’s already been started>>>

Like this farm dream we’re in

With more animals, a bigger garden, planting an orchard

Raising my kiddos

And homeschooling

Being the help-meet my man needs

Knowing… yes there is bravery in the knowing…. Knowing that I am enough. That I am beautiful and competent

Genuine…. The bravery to be the genuine real me with myself and with others

Writing…. Because a writer’s gotta write. It can't be helped. And that’s what I am…. A writer. [that’s a braver statement than some think, right there.]

And being brave enough to hop off this crazy merry-go-round at least a few times a week to carve out and capture bits of quiet just for me…. To do things just because I want to do them…. For me. Or do nothing. Nothing at all. For no reason at all.

Which right now seems like one of the bravest things I can do with my time.

I know that it will also be about bigger, scarier, knee-knocking braves that will require much of me.... and I am preparing the only way I can, knees to the ground, head bowed and heart willing. I'm praying for the strength, courage, boldness, grace, determination, and discernment to be the brave He is desiring to work in and through me.

It’s about the big and the small braves, the loud and the quiet braves- all of them together that pepper, coax and weave themselves into my daily living. And choosing them.

Yep.

2015- I accept the challenge-

I choose to be B R A V E

Let's do this!

Closing out 2014 with God's Great Grace

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 30 Dec 2014 19:48:00 +0000

Today and tomorrow.... that's all that's left of 2014.

It's been quite a year and true to form, God continues to always be good.
Even when I'm not!
Which makes me extremely thankful.
Seriously extremely.

Like most others, I'm feeling reflective as we wind down twenty fourteen.
It's been a banner year.... good, not so good, down right bad and right up through to amazingly and overwhelmingly awesome.....
You know- the not so good of starting the year with a house that had been on the market for four months without one bite, down right bad like having your pipes freeze solid for 38 straight days to the amazing awesomeness of having our water pipes thaw and getting an offer on our house all in one day! To the overwhelmingness of moving to my childhood home and the realization of our family dream to have a farm.

It. Has. Been. A. Year, folks.
And we've been blessed to see God's hand on every piece of it.
He's good like that.

We just celebrated 7 months on the farm on Christmas Eve, that and these final days of a closing year, have me thinking on my 2014 Word of the Year and how it played out for me....

Grace

God's Great Grace....

Oh, how He provided it this year.

How He taught me to see it more clearly and to give it more readily.

To experience it more freely and enjoy it more fully.

I am in awe.... so much that it makes me quiet. I don't know how to form all the words together to describe how His grace has gripped me and taught me these last twelve months.

I think of all that has transpired this year and I see how His grace played out in every circumstance and I know this was exactly the word I needed to be focusing on this year.

It grew me.

Sometimes I liked the growth, other times I chaffed at it... and I admit to a couple of times to stopping in stubbornness, immovable to the rhythm of grace He was teaching.... unable to, at the time, work with the new parameters God was giving me with this so intangible, yet not quite so, thing we call Grace. Yet He continued on and I was able to get a grip on Him and this process and through His grace I was able to proceed with grace.

It's a process I'm still in the midst of.... and probably always will be.

To say it grew me sounds trite and simple and way too small for all that I experienced this year.

Part of me wants to carry Grace with me right over into 2015. Ah, yes.... I contemplated it. I know that I won't stop learning about and growing in His grace in 2015... even if it's not my one word for the year.

And that makes me smile. I need to know that grace carries over and carries through.

Amen.

And so I find myself closing out 2014 knowing I am standing where I had always hoped I might stand-- in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory, standing tall and shouting His praise.

Laundry Loveliness: Homemade Stain Remover

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 17 Dec 2014 20:57:00 +0000

Long time readers know my love for homemade laundry supplies such as homemade fabric softener and the always amazing vinegar.....

This summer I found another little potion to add to my laundry arsenal.

I've been testing it for awhile now and I'm ready to share my latest bit of homemade laundry loveliness....

Stain Remover Spray

1 part Blue Dawn Dish Soap

2 parts Hydrogen Peroxide

Pour into a spray bottle and spray lightly onto stained portions of garments, wash as you normally would.

I'm not kidding- 2 ingredients.

Stunned?

I know I was when I first found out about it.

We've been using it exclusively for about 5 months now.
My spray bottle holds a wee bit more than 1 cup so I do 1/3 cup Dawn and 2/3 cup Hydrogen Peroxide. It'll last me approximately one month if we aren't too messy.

It's taken out such pesky stains as pizza sauce, chocolate syrup, ketchup, mustard, dirt, grass stains just to name a few.

And it works.

It's even managed to lesson previously set stains (not removing entirely but lightening them a bit).

I still have my Fels Naptha (and a little scrub brush) which I swear by for the really difficult stains like really ground-in grass stains and blood.

But this right here is my back up. Fels Naptha first and then a spritz or two of this magical potion before I toss it in the wash.

Yes, this stuff really works.

And is ohsovery frugal to boot!

Other Laundry Loveliness Posts you might be interested in:

Homemade Fabric Softener

How to get that sour stinky smell out of your towels

How to get the smoke smell out of your clothes

Vinegar for your laundry

and A Homemade Fabric Softener FAQ

It's the Season of Giving and I've got a Gift for YOU!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 16 Dec 2014 22:39:00 +0000

There are still presents to be purchased

and made

and wrapped

and cards to be addressed

and stamped

and sent

foodie gifts that need baking

Christmas Party Mix that needs making

etc etc etc

And yet today, instead of doing anything on my To Do List, I decided to get a little creative and create something just for you...

My readers.

Who has stuck around and cheered us on as we put our beloved yellow townie farmhouse up for sale, as we dealt with completely frozen pipes while our house was still for sale, as we sold our house and prepped for our big move, as we moved and started carving a life out here on the farm....

and my blogging dripped instead of flowed and dribbled 'til it about dried up.....

Y'all have been super patient and loyal and I'm just blessed to bits to have you still around.

I want to write more... I've even got a list of bloggy ideas and have taken pictures to go with nonexistent posts.

I'm just really struggling with finding the time to make bloggy magic happen on here.

Sorry 'bout that.

Anyhoo.... as my way of saying Thank You for sticking around and checking in and reading... I created a Christmas printable for you to download and print!

For FREE!

Isn't it lovely?

I'm pretty geeked about it.

Just click on the link below and download your very own print!

Fear Not Printable by Amy Wagner

I don't know about you but I just needed a little pick-me-up and a good reminder of what Christmas really is....

Good Tidings of Great Joy!

For all people!

Enjoy, my dear readers.

And stay hopeful.