This Moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. Via soulemama.

What's happening around here?

Sorry guys, summertime has us busier than bees some days.  We have been testing out some fun things, enjoying family and friends company, celebrating so there has been little time left during the day to blog.

We have.........Good news, Our chickens started laying just the other day.  We enjoyed a tasty omelette this past weekend.  We look forward each afternoon going out and getting the eggs.

We have.........Bad news (only for those chickens!).Our Freedom Rangers will go for processing in about 2-3 weeks.  I won't lie, I hate those evil demon spawn and will laugh all the way to the farm!  Muhahahahahaha!

Freedom Rangers

We tested............Coconut oil, tooth powder, dishwasher detergent and homemade yogurt to be exact.  I am not crazy about the dishwasher soap via here.  My dishes just are not getting clean so I still have a bunch of testing to do. I hope to have a post about the coconut oil, tooth powder and yogurt soon.  PS...I am a total fan of all three of these things but I am totally hooked on the tooth powder!  The Hubs on the other hand is kind of on the fence.

Image via

We planned..........Figuring out where our duck house and bees will go has been a little trying.  Only having three quarters of an acre with one third of that being wooded makes fitting gardens, swing sets, trampolines, chicken coops, duck houses, duck ponds, and dog houses a little trickier.  Nonetheless we will find the room so everyone is happy.

2 Buff's peeking out of the chicken coop

We researched..........We have been researching ducks, the Hubs has wanted ducks (and goats) for a while now.  Since we had bad luck with the chickens last year, I wanted to concentrate on the chickens.  Now we are semi sure we know what we are doing so we are getting ducks, no goats right now.  It looks like we will be getting some Runners, Rouens, and Pekings, next month.  They are all docile ducks so the kids can help and I don't have to worry about one of them getting pecked.

Image via

We gardened.........Getting our butterfly and bee garden established.  This garden is three years in the making and I have to say it is coming along well!!  Thanks to our friend Frank. He sells the greatest perennials, never uses pesticides on his perennials and I have never had any problem with any plant he has ever sold me.  I make one or two trips there a year and just love seeing everything he has to offer!  We were out until about 10 pm Sunday evening trying to get the last of the mulch down.  We ran out of landscapers fabric and called it an evening!  Hopefully I will be able to finish this today!

A butterfly on an echinacea flower

We celebrated......... Little Bug turned 5 this past weekend.  She is such a love!  What a sweet and beautiful little girl!

So this is what we have been doing for the past week, with a little rain mixed in!  How is summer treating you?

Freedom Rangers

We decided that this year we would get meat chickens.  And after talking to a local chicken farmer, we decided to go with Freedom Rangers, which were suppose to be somewhere in the middle of Cornish X and a heritage breed.  We got them on June 1st and figured they would only be with us a short period of time, what could go wrong......

I have never hated an animal in my life as much as I hate these chickens.  They stink to the high heavens, they poop EVERYWHERE, they eat ALL THE TIME, they are the ugliest birds ever, I do not think they actually groom themselves and at one point I thought they all had tumors growing out of their breasts. Turns out they grow that way. We have gone through three bags of feed in the past six weeks.  They forage but they prefer the feed over foraging.  I only supplement feed with the egg layers, but these guys think they are going to starve to death and will follow you around until you feed them.  They are vile and disgusting and I actually cannot wait to send them to the farm.  I will never get Freedom Rangers again.   I think next time around we will go with an actual heritage breed.  They may take a little longer to grow but that is okay.  Having raised other dual-purpose breeds I know what to expect.

Freedom Rangers

Our egg layers, of which our three Buff Orpingtons are dual-purpose, do not smell, they forage, and they look like normal chickens.  I love our girls, they are polite and let us pick them up and pet them, they love their little mealy worm treats and kitchen scraps.  I gave them some grass clippings from the lawn mower and they went crazy!!

Our egg layers

So I will continue our quest for a meat bird that is slow growing, docile and doesn't eat like a pig!  I will let you know what breed we try next!!

Christmas in July- Really?

Yes, I am crazy for making a Christmas post in July.  But why not?  I LOVE Christmas!  It is absolutely the best time of the year.  I always feel like all is good with the world from about Thanksgiving to New Years.  But I digress!

I spent last December DIY'ing most of our Christmas presents to our family and I felt so rushed.  But I was browsing through the internet and Pinterest the other day and started finding all kinds of Christmas stuff to make and give!

I am inspired to start planning in July.

I made a Ornament wreath this past year for my sister, maybe I should make her some garland to match?

via Pretty Quirky

Or some glitter ornaments for our tree.

via Cook~Love~Craft

Or I could make more paint ornaments, like last year.

Handmade by me

And maybe I will let the girls get crafty with me again this summer and we can make these!

Little Bird's hand print snow family!

I have a new found love to make things and I am kind of good at it!  Toot! Toot!  And now that my family room is complete I have another Christmas tree to set up and decorate!  Yay!

When do you start feeling inspired for Christmas?  What do you do to keep yourself from becoming overwhelmed?

This Moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. Via soulemama.