my 16 in 2016 {end of the year update}

these days are moving fast! really, 2016 has flown by! just dropping in today to post a little 16 in 2016 update...

these last few days will be full + happy.  hope you are enjoying some time with friends + family.

My 16 in 2016

1. Grow. 

2. Improve.

3. Read.

4. Taste.

5. Rest.

6. Photograph.

7. Save.

8. Appreciate.

9. Make.

10. Move.

11. Plant.

12. Do.

13. Share joy.

14. Learn.

15. Create.

16. Simplify.

have a great day, folks!

{a full year of eggs} reflection

good morning!

did you know that it has been just about one full year that our chickens have been laying beautiful, fresh eggs for my family? it is a year to reflect on to say the least…

let’s go ahead and get this out of the way… i love having a laying flock of chickens roaming around our yard more than i expected. they are a little silly and are most definitely diligent workers around our property. i am very grateful for the quality fresh eggs and being able to share those eggs with family and friends. of course there are a few responsibilities to own up to:

yes, sometimes when we are enjoying ourselves out on the town i am worried about hurrying home to “close up the girls”. but that once in awhile pull to get back home isn’t all the time because honestly, many nights we are already home to make sure they are safely locked up after heading into the coop to roost for the night.

and there are the nights that it is rainy and blustery and i let my poor guy head out there to make sure they are all tucked in. as well as some of those late sleepy first and third trimester mornings that i let my husband get up on his own and take care of those morning chores.

but really for us, a smaller flock of laying hens hasn’t been THAT much extra work. designing, building and investing in the coop and structure of how to care for the birds probably was the most work we have had to do all along. feeding, watering and keeping things clean goes along pretty smoothly (yes, there are a few days here and there when we realized that we are running late for work and chicken chores are one of the main contributors - didn’t we fill the water last night?! did they drink that much?!)

having the girls roam the yard for bugs and turning up weeds is no less than fantastic. they love to hop into the open raised bed and scratch around to see what they can find. it makes me smile and keeps the pests down in our little garden. 

i don’t think we will add to our flock anytime soon. our chickens keep us in plenty of eggs and they keep up with scraps as well as feed. maybe one day we will rotate a few new layers in, but i think these ladies will keep us just fine for now. 

have a happy monday!

{our little summer garden 2016}

hi there! i decided it was time for a little garden + growing update of sorts!

as you know there’s much going on around here… so my husband and i decided that one place we could slow things down (to make it more manageable) was the garden. i’m not standing the heat super well with being a human incubator and all, so a little lighter load outdoors has been pleasant for me this summer.

here’s what is going + growing these days…

+ we decided with the history of our mini farm (car maintenance as well as a dairy cow farm) that we would change our initial “in ground garden” plans to raised bed garden plans. this allows us to know that the dirt doesn’t have any harsh chemicals as one can never really be sure when you’re talking about farmed and well used land.

+ we have built three brand-new raised garden beds in a sunny place in our yard! one is filled with growing tomatoes, peppers and lettuce. a second is getting filled with quality dirt as we find it for cheap. and the third is our composting bed this year. 

+we have begun to use a compost tumbler to mostly compost veggie/produce/plant scraps so that we can add them to one open raised bed each year. this will allow us to compost and not attract various animals (with extremely fresh food scraps) so near to our growing produce and laying flock of chickens. we will be able to have one open raised bed each year to rotate our soil and keep things vibrant and replenished as needed.

we hope to add a bit more to the overall structure this summer and upcoming fall. but we are going to take it easy with just doing what we can. however, we figured if most of the structure is in place for next spring planting that will be much easier for us as we won’t be starting from scratch like we did this past spring. 

how about you? any good planting?

*i added this post to Our Simple Homestead Blog Hop #66 - go check out all the fun posts sharing about homesteading and simple living!

around these parts {+ on my bookshelf} summer 2016

hello loves!

so i've been doing plenty of reading lately - and as an "expecting mama" you know what types of books i'm devouring!! (here's looking at you Dr. Sears!)

i've also been trying to save a little time for fun reads too. i find it enjoyable to sit in the shade and prop up my feet, so i keep telling myself that quiet reading time is part of staying healthy for the baby.

right now i'm reading

+ big magic: creative living beyond fear by Elizabeth Gilbert
sometimes when i'm looking for a new book to read i just find an author that i've enjoyed their books in the past. this is how i decided to pick up a copy of big magic. this is different than the last Elizabeth Gilbert book i read but i'm really enjoying it. in fact, i would credit my inspiration to saving a little time to write on the blog again to this book (well, and to all the podcasts i've been listening to about 'self care' and 'saving some time for you'). if you are looking for a little creative pick-me-up i totally recommend this book!


+ sleeping with your baby: a parent's guide to cosleeping by Dr. James McKenna

i'm about half way thru this book, which means i should probably finish it today - don't you think all parenting books should be roughly 70 pages long?! it is full of research committed to human sleep patterns and healthy development (for mothers, fathers, and babies) and it explains ways to safely create a sleeping environment that includes your new baby whether you room-share or bed-share with your sleeping little one.  part of the book is also dedicated to identifying if sleeping in separate rooms is more appropriate for your family. it is very interesting (yes, early human development nerd right here!!) and i'm hoping to have my husband read it. i think it will be good information to have somewhere in our heads when we are sleep-deprived and trying to figure out what works best for our newest roommate and family member :)

what about you? any juicy summer reads? i think i'm ready to find something suspenseful that i just can't put down!

{update}::my 16 in 2016 + what is new over here...

This year I decided to live with the word "cultivate" in mind. I wrote 16 goals/prompts for 2016. And wow, 2016 has been pretty fantastic so far. I know I've been pretty quiet around here, but life is never quiet and we all know this. I couldn't find the time to dedicate to writing on the blog because I was busy doing so much and my energy was elsewhere.  I suppose I was cultivating the whole time...

If you ever read this blog or peek at my instagram you know that in November 2015 my husband and I purchased our "forever mini-farm" and started trying to settle in to the big plans we've always dreamed of - the homesteading, maker-paradise, big romantic dreams that we two are guilty of. {I think it has something to do with two creatives making a full-time life together.} We always are saying "we are so fortunate" and throwing around the word "lucky", but we also make some pretty great plans {slightly over-detailed plans} and keep running towards them. Anyway, buying this property {which we lovingly refer to as "our farm haus"} prompted the word "cultivate" for 2016. Well, the mini-farm along with some other plans I wasn't ready to share a few months back - you've probably already guessed it - but we are talking about cultivating life and growing our family to be bigger than two people. Yes, we are expecting and I am growing a tiny human - !! - my oh my, it is hard work! We are due late September and all is going along just fine. I'll save more of this story for a day in the not so distant future :)

I guess I really got this post together to redirect my focus of writing and reflection that I enjoy so much that is part of blogging for me. So, I am updating my 16 prompts with links below. I hope to get back into a routine, that will surely change again and again many times. But I'm okay with that, and I hope you are too.  Thanks for popping by to read about what is new with me! What is new with you? Leave me a comment below!

My 16 in 2016

1. Grow.

2. Improve.

3. Read.

4. Taste.

5. Rest.

6. Photograph.

7. Save.

8. Appreciate.

9. Make.

10. Move.

11. Plant.

12. Do.

13. Share joy.

14. Learn.

15. Create.

16. Simplify.

garden dreaming {berries + fruits}

oh yes, my friends. this is the year to start establishing my fruit growing plants, patches and practices!  i am thrilled beyond words to put in a few special plants that will produce in the upcoming years for my family to enjoy.


currently on our property we have an apple tree, a pear tree and a cherry tree. i am so happy with these established fruit trees. i cannot wait to pick and make some jams, butters and pies!


i am hoping to add a few more fruit bearing plants to our mini farm this year...

+the beginnings of a berry patch
dreaming about either strawberries or raspberries + fresh picking those beauties on the farm! (even if the picking doesn't happen this year...)

+ elderberry
i hope to plant a few varieties (currently considering Adams, Johns, Nova or York varieties) of elderberry plants this spring - which should give me just enough time to find a well-drained patch of soil around here! And then I hope to make syrup within the next few years!

+ a dwarf peach tree
i've always longed for a few dwarf fruit trees. something that will be easier to care for, accessible for the shorties 'round here, and not get too tall so that all the fruit is for the local birds. if it seems manageable to plant a fruit tree, i will select a dwarf peach tree to compliment the apple, cherry and pear trees we already have.

how about you? any thoughts about your plantings this year?

currently {feeling spring}

hey there friends!

yes, i am loving this spring-like weather we are having. i'll take the rain along with our warm, sunny days peppered in for good measure.


this past weekend was a good one. a good fill me up type of weekend, but also good for the garden! a friend and i decided to do a little seed trading for the garden AND i was able to get my seeds planted for starts! hooray! we'll see how they turn out, but so far, so good!


i planted mini red and yellow bell peppers, several varieties of tomatoes, onions, a few herbs and even some flowers just for fun. i am so excited to get my garden started!

how about you? enjoy the weekend? do any planting yet?

{cultivate} + {resolve} 2016 Garden Dreaming

Here we are, it is that time again... oh yes. Making 'Garden Resolutions + Plans' for 2016!

This will be our first growing year on our homestead and I am looking to learn A LOT! It will be fun to see what is around our property and how it can benefit from a little love (or no love from this gal at all) during our first spring and summer. With this first season of growth in mind I have a few plans...

2016 Garden Resolutions

::grow produce that we eat + some that we will save {such as}::

• tomatoes
• peppers
• onions
• lettuce, spinach
• zucchini
• cucumbers
• potatoes
• sweet potatoes
• carrots
• garlic
• herbs: basil, thyme, bay, cilantro, rosemary, sage

::spend time on our food or garden everyday {cooking, prepping, menu planning, gardening, etc.}::

::grow flowers::

::grow a pumpkin and/or berry patch::

::plant a fruit tree::

::find ways that work for us to preserve some of our mushroom harvest::

::continue to care for our laying hens::

::research, plan, + create a root cellar::

::take notes about our homestead --> growth of food, consumption, + general needs::

I'm using January + February to read some gardening books, lay out my garden plan, and consider the year's schedule + flow. How about you, up to some garden dreaming?

real food + whole15 inspiration {january 2016 edition}

hi there!

i am using today to start a 'whole15'. just a little reset to relieve some of the bloat and get my sugar cravings back under control. having the holidays and several family birthdays (including my own last week) always make about eight weeks a terribly difficult time for me to make good food choices. i hope i can be a little smarter next go-round. being a year older an' all...

so in honor of my reset i've pulled together a few links/ideas of what/who has been inspiring my prep-thoughts for my whole 15. (which maybe it will turn into a whole30 i don't know, but last time i set out for a whole30 i found 15 days was great and i was able to move forward with many good food plans for quite a while after that... so we are starting here with 15 days)

dollyessfit {i follow her on instagram}

Dolly is super positive and i love her quick work out videos. she also shares many recipes where you can use leftovers or with just a few tweaks the same ingredients will be a different lunch than the day before.

my chickens
these ladies are still laying eggs on the sunny days. full force! so on yesterday's blustery sunday (no eggs or only one when it is cold and too gray - we are not putting in a lamp this year to increase winter egg production) i made two dozen hard boiled eggs for snacks and lunch salad toppings. thanks ladies!!

epicureannie {i follow her on instagram}
Annabelle is working for way more than just a whole30 (i believe she is going for a whole60). her health gains on her overall journey are amazing. i love seeing her food photos - especially the simple snacks/quick lunches, which make me not feel so bad when i am just really needing a coffee and a larabar to get the kids to the end of the school day. (we are all human, right?) she also is such a positive reminder of thinking ahead with again, the quick fixes that you can take along with you when you know it is going to be difficult to stay compliant when out with friends or around town.

of course i still use whole30.com and i follow whole30 on instagram and that is always super helpful + motivating. day one can be exciting so here's to hoping i don't crash out on day two!

happy monday!

my 16 in 2016

I have been making lists and goals and drafting plans as long as I can remember {see my lists of goals from 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015}. I love to check off a task + to plan all the ways I could spend my time, money, energy and other resources. I love to consider options. I love having open ended goals because it gives me the flexibility to really strive for whatever I deem most important or appropriate to me - even if that changes several times during one calendar year. 

I write the following 16 goals for 2016 in order to work on passions and spend my time in meaningful ways. I know that my efforts may not always have perfectly posed end results. 

I will live 2016 with the word "cultivate" in mind. 

I will create in positive ways. I will take action. I will plan and just start. I will try not to rehash my well-laid plans too many times {I can already hear you laughing, j}. 

I will ask myself "what can I do to support my happy + healthy life?"... 

My 16 in 2016

1. Grow.

2. Improve.

3. Read.

4. Taste.

5. Rest.

6. Photograph.

7. Save.

8. Appreciate.

9. Make.

10. Move.

11. Plant.

12. Do.

13. Share joy.

14. Learn.

15. Create.

16. Simplify.

How about you? Any goals for this year?

{cultivate}::a word for 2016

hello my friends! happy 2016!

i hope bringing in the new year was an absolutely joyful event for you. wrapping up the past year and taking those first few breaths of a new year of possibility always gets me so excited for what is to come. of course i reflect on the past year and something i noticed from 2015 was how successful my goals were... and i think it was because i had found such a great word for me to keep in mind for the year. {read about "do" here}

after my success with "do" in 2015 i knew i needed to bring focus to a word that evokes action in 2016. a word that makes me feel that i am still growing. growing food, growing as a person. a word that makes me feel that i am creating. creating a life here in our new home, being creative as a person. a word that will allow me to focus on myself, my health and enriching the way i treat myself and spend my time caring for me and my family. these thoughts helped me select this year's word.

this year i will keep the word "cultivate" in mind. i will allow it to inspire my actions around

...  creating a home and lifestyle that works for us at our new home
... focusing on cultivating rituals and routines during our days, weeks, seasons
...  growing produce + eggs on our land and allowing that to influence a simple + seasonal menu
... devoting time for friends, family, crafting, play, rest, reading + photography
... enriching my life by nourishing my body in a healthy way with sleep, food + movement

this will be a worthwhile + special year. i can just feel it.

here's to a fantastic 2016! i wish you the best start into the new year!