Thank you for sharing. I already ordered the gum

Thanks for this great article. One thing I would like to add (my pet peeve): Stop using dryer sheets. Either use the sun to hang your clothes out to dry OR put 4-5 used tennis balls in your dryer with the load of wet clothes. They will bounce around and completely soften your clothes better than those chemical sheets with the toxic perfumes in them. The chemicals in them are disastrous for your health despite their ubiquitous use in the U.S. Some friends didn’t believe that tennis balls could possibly work — until they tried it for themselves, and now they’re hooked. No more chemical dryer sheets.

Good for you! There are vegetarians and vegans in the San Francisco Bay Area who have been promoting natural and organic for years. We’re not aging hippies either, although we do espouse some of the same ideals. Always read the ingredients on the labels of anything you purchase including towels, linens and clothing. Coca Cola recently announced it was removing the chemical flame retardant from their American production by the end of 2014 even though it has been banned in Japan and other countries. Sigh. Keep on being diligent, spread the word, support your local agricultural community and your family’s health. And enjoy nutritional yeast on your homemade popcorn! 😉

And I love your handwashing station…I’m going to make one of those today.

First, do NOT paint the milk can. Leave it as is: it’s a wonderful reminder of the past. The porch is lovely. Another thing you can do on your fire pit is put a grate over the top and do some outdoor cooking (corn on the cob wrapped in aluminum foil, veggies in foil pouches, hot dogs, burgers, etc.). If you can put a tripod over the fire pit that will hold a Dutch oven, you can have dinner cooking or bake some biscuits. Just some ideas. Enjoy!

Hi Nicole,
Everything looks GREAT!!!!! Love the décor on the back porch, the new rocking chair out front and that firepit!!!!! Love it all!
Audrey looks like she is in her glory with her friend and marshmallows!
I am hoping to set up my back decks this weekend since it is supposed to FINALLY be nice!!!
Have to get all my cozy goodies out, I LOVE sitting out there after dinner and just reading and relaxing! It truly is the simple, little things in life that make it complete!
Big hugs to you my friend!
Love,
Laurie

Love the porch, Nicole! If you didn’t live so cotton-pickin’ far away I’d come over and sit a spell and chat with you on your porch! We have a deck (no roof) on the east side of our house which we love for mornings until the sun gets too intense, but we LIVE on the deck in the late afternoon/evenings in warm weather!
We’re looking forward to outdoor opportunities to come . . . still a bit chilly most of the time here.
Thanks, Nicole!
CJ

Let’s face it: We’re all spending way more time at home these days, so it’s more important than ever to make our backyards welcoming and special. And in northern climates, we need to make the most of those precious few warm weather months! Any backyard can be made a little cozier with our best tips and tricks for making your space more beautiful, useful and fun. And you don’t need to spend a lot of money or hire a landscape designer to make over your backyard. With these simple ideas, you can create a restful oasis for you and your entire family (pets included).

Welcome to the chicken mama club Nicole… Or is that Mother Hen? Looks like your girls are settling in very nicely… They sure do have personalities of their own. And, they sure bring much joy to us backyard farmers don’t they? They are fun to spoil and so worth it for all those delicious eggs they ” gift” us! Happy Spring from your Beach Sister!

Hi Nicole,
SO glad to read and see that all is going well with your chickens (and Roo)! They look great! You will find that they are addicting and before long you will want more and more!
One of my hens is a Silkie Bantam (they tend to go broody often, which was fine with me since she only lays tiny little eggs- we didn’t get her for egg production, but more for her good looks and sweet personality).
Well, she went broody about a month ago, so I decided to get some fertile eggs (since I don’t have a rooster),from a local farm, to see if she would sit on them and if they might possibly hatch out. I gave her 6 eggs to sit on, 2 Brahma,2 Speckled Sussex, 1 Aracauna and 1 Cockoo Maran.
Well, lo and behold, on Monday morning I awoke to 2 new baby chicks. Then yesterday one more. We are still waiting to see what happens with the other three eggs which are under her. It is simply amazing to see things happen in their natural environment! My daughter is loving it, as am I.
Of course, we take the risk that our chicks may not be hens, but roosters instead, so we will just have to wait and see what happens. But we are totally loving the whole experience.
I have her isolated from my other 7 hens, and she will have a separate coop/run area for her and her chicks.
I am so happy for you, that you are finally getting to enjoy being a chicken owning farmgirl! (and its hysterical that Audrey was “uncomfortable” about holding a “warm” egg!)
Enjoy your girls (and guy)!
Big Hugs to you!
Laurie

I’m completely new to the farmgirl community and I love reading your chick-mom blog. I hope to join in on the fun someday.

Love reading about you chickens! so neat!

Your post is sooooooo perfect for first-time chicken owners. You so nailed it. Thanks for putting a huge smile on my face this morning:)

To answer your question and the puzzler of all times, the chicken came first. The egg wouldn’t have been able to get on the ark on its own. Now you Noah. 😉

Oh Nicole,
So glad you are enjoying “all” aspects of being a backyard chicken farmer! Yes, there is definitely the good the bad and the ugly sometimes (as with all things!) but, in my opinion the good far outweighs the bad!
You have probably already experienced the roughest part- which is keeping chickens “indoors” when they get big! (and very messy!!!)
I bet before long you will be wanting MORE chickens, as they tend to be addictive!
I currently have 8 hens, but one of my girls is sitting on a clutch of 6 eggs, which if successful, are due to hatch out about April 12th or April 13th. Its very exciting to see this happen naturally right in my own backyard! Its a new experience for me, as the chicks I have gotten in the past came from a hatchery, so I have my fingers crossed that all goes well.
As always, I loved reading your story. Always exciting to see whats going on in your neck of the woods!

Loved your post, I am going to print your advice and look at it often. I have wanted chickens for years, deciding I might wait until we retire. Those cute little peeps at the grain and feed store get me every time, thanks for reminding me how quickly they grow. Someday I will take the leap and squeal at our first egg but or now I will enjoy reading your tales.

Oh I can so relate!!! Enjoyed reading your post. Here’s a p.s. we had several roosters and they were the larger sized breed. One literally attacked my husband when he went in to check the coop. He ended up with a bruise and scratches on his face!! They were immediately taken care of. No…I cannot eat them…gave some away, made soup from a few and still have one left in the freezer…. any takers?!?!

Loved hearing about your chickens. I grew up on a farm and spring always meant
my mom bought a hundred chickens. Loved the little yellow balls. Helped my mom feed and water and make sure they were Ok in the bruder house they lived in. Also helped dress out chickens when they were ready. Never liked gathering eggs as chickens will pick your fingers when you try to gather eggs. Roosters are mean and not to be trusted. Thanks for sharing your experience. Good luck with the hens.

The insulators reminded me of my husband’s distant relative who had a pit behind her farmhouse in Iowa full of discarded insulators. She would paint them with aquarium paint, fire them in her oven, glue them together and add a ring of marbles to the joint to create large candle holders. I had them for years when I had a large dining table and remember them fondly.

What an interesting post; I never knew all the history of these insulators. I have several that I’ve collected through the years. Some of my uncles worked for the railroad, so a few were passed down to me and the others I’ve picked up along the way at yard sales or flea markets. I love the tealight idea, so I’ll be sure to try that one.

How interesting! I have a large collection that I’ve picked up here and there at flea markets. My grandaddy and i used to pick them up beside the railroad tracks when I was little. I pretended like they were treasures and they were to me because I was with my precious granddaddy!
I decorate with them and even use them as doorstops! I like the windowsill idea and will certainly do that! Thank you for this interesting post!!!!!

Nicole, I never knew all this about the insulators. I know I had some when you were growing up. Did I give them to you? A good story and love all the comments. I never thought about using them for candle holders.

Love,

Mother

I took one of the old cross arms from telegraph lines and added to it and put over walk way with insulators on it everyone coments on it and really pretty at christmas with light on it.

My aunt made me a lamp out of one when I was in my 20’s(eons ago). My lamp was turquoise & my sister’s was clear. They were both absolutely beautiful. Aunt Inez heated them in a 450 degree oven, I think she said for an hour. Then placed them in cold water in her sink. They crackle and in some instances must be glued back together. She had purchased mini bases that fit around the dimensions of each insulator that she had purchased at a local craft shop. They had a tiny gold colored filigree that was about of a 1/4 to 1/2 inch high that came up over the edge of the insulator. She wired them and each had a small night light bulb inside it with the insulator over the bulb. The lamp had an inline switch. They made beautiful t.v. lamps. Mine was lovely but my sister’s really sparkled like crystal with hers being clear.

I love them but have 3 aqua blue green insolators 2 is hemingray one has -62 made inusaan the others biger has no# 3 Cable an hem
ingray the other has a 6 i would like to no the value an maybe sell them. Thanks

As a big fan of the veggie/vegan lifestyle, I enjoyed “Forks Over Knives” and tried some of the recipes mentioned during the movie. I especially like kale and my simple salad now is just washed and torn kale, lemon juice and an avocado mashed through the kale with your hands. “Purple soup” was created with beets, red cabbage and a red onion I had on hand. It’s not quite borscht nor cabbage soup but is a lovely color. I’m also adapting to the anti-cancer diet so turmeric is added to most dishes, and I use chia seeds and nutritional yeast as often as possible. Try nutritional yeast on popcorn instead of salt and cheese–yum! Here’s to spring!

Oh my goodness, what a useful post this is. I’m definitely going to get a rubber jar opener for my garlic. Brilliant! And your meal planning is excellent.

I live in Dallas, Texas. My kale is already up! Planted from seed in January. I have all sorts of other veggies growing too. Exciting!

Hi Nicole,

It has been a LONG and BRUTAL winter for sure. Where I live in northern Indiana, Lake Michigan can “enhance” our snow production and definitely influences our weather. My daughter has missed 8 days of school this winter and it looks like the majority of those days will have to be made up this summer. Thankfully, the brutal cold (-25 to -45) has moved on and hopefully not to return. Monday we had another fierce snowstorm but yesterday the temperatures finally warmed higher than freezing and we were getting some snow melt. Now the worry is flooding. We are expecting a LOT of rain and thunderstorms tomorrow. There is almost three feet of snow on the ground and the ground is froze a good three feet. There is no where for the water to go. It will be an interesting and anxiety filled few days, especially for those that live in flood plain areas. Sometimes I wonder what we would talk about if we didn’t have the weather. Ha ha ha.

Despite all the snow, I see the beginnings of Spring and that brings hope that one day soon we will relish the sight of green grass and green leaves. I hear the birds singing once again and some are starting their courting dances. Can you feel the warmth of the sun and the warm breeze on your face? Can you smell the fresh cut grass? Won’t it be exciting to be able to open our windows once again and let the fresh air overwhelm our senses? The smell of the earth as we begin our spring planting can’t be beat. I can’t wait to hang my sheets out on the line, too. Just think, if we didn’t have the winter, we wouldn’t have anything to look forward to and that makes me more sad than getting stuck inside with all the snow.

Lisa

Wow! Your post reminds me of the day when I had a weekend/holiday cabin in the mountains of southern California. We had some pretty deep snow in the winter and fortunately, the A-frame was on stilts with a creek flowing down the hill to the highway below. The cabin had a 100-gallon propane tank half buried in the ground and provided heat, cooking/baking, and the Swedish fireplace as well as refrigeration (Italian refrigerator ran on propane). It was great to snuggle under a quilt sipping tea and eating soup while listening to the snow fall. Snow whispers, I decided. Now that I live in San Francisco and hoping for more rain to end our drought, I’m wishing for snow in the mountains by Lake Tahoe, Donner Pass and other areas not only for the skiers but those of us who need full reservoirs when the snow melts in the spring. And spring will be here soon!

Hi Nicole,
Loved your post as I can relate to it all being your “neighbor across the sound” here on Long Island. Literally, kids being home from school, chicken woes, plenty of snow, pouring over seed catalogs and making gardening plans, wow…..we REALLY have to meet in person! I feel like your a long lost “sister” !
Stay warm and safe, and keep your chin up, Spring really IS just around the corner!
Hugs,
Laurie

The snow at your place is beautiful! I’m from South Georgia and we had one night of flurries! Not much accumulation! Just enough that my children could make a hand sized snowball each to put in the freezer!! For me, that was plenty! It has been very cold here this winter. For us, a nice change from the scorching hot summers! We’ve had a lot of ice. More than we’ve had in years! More rain too! We have been in a drought for some time now! Anyway our children DO NOT do well having to be in doors AT ALL!! Lol!! We spend a lot of time outside! We farm, bale hay, fish, hunt and play! So when we have to be inside we build forts, work on school projects(we homeschool), read a lot, etc. We’d love to have enough snow to build a snowman! Maybe one winter we will!
I really enjoyed reading your post and the ones who replied! I also love the “farmgirl” connection that we all share! I’ll be praying for everyone’s safety during all this snow and ice! And can’t wait to read more of your future posts!
Blessings to you and yours!
~Kim~

Dear Nicole,
Loved your post as it brought back wonderful memories of living in Michigan and the “north country” of New York. The picture of your daughter peeking out of the snow tunnel brought back memories of my daughter(now 32 yrs old) and the snow tunnel she built, the snow fell on her middle trapping her and I was inside the house. I finally heard her calling and came out to her legs waving up and down on one end and her arms waving on the other. After I got her inside and warmed up we were able to laugh about it, your picture brought a great big smile to my face! Hope you keep warm and continue writing, love to read your posts!

Thank you
Marcia
(living in Florida now, miss winter very much)

I think most of us have had more than our share of snow and cold this winter. During last week’s storms, a lot of my southern relatives had pictures posted on facebook showing their children making and eating snow cream. That brought back all sorts of childhood memories for me, so I had to make some of my own. Of course, it’s not nearly the same when you use skim milk and stevia. Ha. It’s traditionally with lots of real sugar, vanilla and heavy cream. I love the snow, but I have to admit that I’m beginning to look for some signs of spring. Your pictures are beautiful and so peaceful looking.

Hi Nicole:

I was your husband’s VW dealership today and he asked me about my Mary Janes Farmgirl decal on my car. He gave me your blog address. Just wanted to say hello and loved your blog on the chickens. Keep the home and country going. Mary Janes Farm is my favorite magazine!

Irene

What a great idea! Going to check it out. I have utilized Craigslist, Freecycle, and local swap meets, but it all gets so HUGE to wade through.
Greetings
Heike
Farmchick #2245

This is such a great idea. I have yet to try it, but my daughter does this all the time. She’s scored some great items for her six year old and two year old….a playhouse, wonderful bedroom sets, as well as lots of other useful things. She has re-purposed a lot of the things they no longer use, too, so it saves her money twice. Oh, and I love your woodstove. It looks like your cat does, too!

Oh I love hearing about this ‘tag sale’ site idea. Going to check my area right now. Thanks for letting us know about it. God Bless.

Nicole, this is very thorough regarding the benefits and rules of a tag sale. Rae and Katie were smart to not allow designer handbags. I love a bargain, but have never really thought some sites on the internet were safe. Love the pictures, too.

Love,
Mother

OH YES**** I Love Downton Abby** I relate to all the Women….upstairs and downstairs. It shows that things can change –in a moment, all people have responsibilities even with $$money and how we feel for all that Help us….loyality, ethics, & more.
Thanks for your share…. Reality is always adjusting!
JULIE jw

Hi Julie, I agree.  I think we all can relate to many of the characters in one way or another.  They are all so well-written.  Thanks for commenting! – Nicole

I am totally addicted to Downton Abbey. I was a late comer also, I started watching last season but I did view Seasons 1-2 before so I could be caught up. Love your outfit. Especially the hat.

It sounds like an awesome town you live in. I don’t have access to anything as exciting as a Downton Abbey Tea. But it was fun reading about yours.

Hi Rebecca!  Thanks!  It was fun to dress up.  Our library is still closed, several weeks later.  I think our town is very lucky, they’ve always done such interesting, fun programs for as long as I can remember, usually free or very low-cost.   It was the library that got me hooked on the show, too.  One of the librarians gushed that I just had to watch it.  (Our library has free DVD rentals, too).  Like Lisa said in her comment, I catch all sorts of things seeing the episodes again.  Thanks for stopping by!  Farmgirl hugs, Nicole

Nicole,

I had not seen the interview on the "Today Show". I bet I can find it online though. It sounds priceless and comical.

You know I hadn’t thought about the language. I guess because of the period of time this takes place. It is refreshing though.

By the way your outfit for the tea was AWESOME! You said you made your hat. I am soooo impressed. You look like you stepped out of a magazine for that era. Very cool.

I have had many discussions with friends and family and I think it is very likely that should I have been born in those times I would have been downstairs rather than upstairs. I love the pride they have for the work they do that today would often be considered unrewarding and not a "real" job.

Have you seen the Downton cookbook? Oh my! I had no idea something like that existed until my birthday came along and my mom got it for me. I don’t know how anyone could like blood pudding. LOL.

Cheers,
Lisa

Lisa,

I have not seen the Downton Abbey cookbook!  I will look for that, sounds interesting.  Although I agree with you on the blood pudding…ick.  Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole

Nicole, My dear friend hosted her second annual Downton Abbey premiere party at the opening of Season 3 and all the ladies came in fancy dress. Her Victorian house was aglow with flickering candles and shining silver and the dinner would have made Mrs. Patmore proud.

It is a marvel that this television series has entranced so many people from all over the world. Julian Fellows and Downton cast, hats off to you!

Terri, oh your friend’s party sounds wonderful!  How fun!  Farmgirl hugs, Nicole

Dear Nicole
In Danmark are we seeing Downton Abbey now. I like this series too.
Love farfar og farmor Dk

Hej Farmor! 

Won’t it be fun when we see each other again…tea, knitting, and Downton Abbey in the afternoon!  Love you! – Nicole

I’ve been a fan from the 1st episode! Love everything about the show from costume & set design to how well each actor was cast in their specific role. We’ve done tea in our family from before I was born as my Great-Grandmother Scarborough was from England. It’s very relaxing at the end of the day to sit whilst dinner cooks and catch up on everyone’s day. Your “costume” is great but even more so because it’s comprised of things you already wear. Me too! I’ve always been enthralled with everything British and even read UK versions of Country Living & Country Homes along w/ my MJF every other month! Cheers to a great blog and fellow DA fan & MJ sister!

I love this show. It is so neat to see how that era of England lived. I can’t wait for more episodes. And I love your hat by the way.

OH YES**** I Love Downton Abby** I relate to all the Women….upstairs and downstairs. It shows that things can change –in a moment, all people have responsibilities even with $$money and how we feel for all that Help us….loyality, ethics, & more.
Thanks for your share…. Reality is always adjusting!
JULIE jw

Hi Julie, I agree.  I think we all can relate to many of the characters in one way or another.  They are all so well-written.  Thanks for commenting! – Nicole

I am totally addicted to Downton Abbey. I was a late comer also, I started watching last season but I did view Seasons 1-2 before so I could be caught up. Love your outfit. Especially the hat.

It sounds like an awesome town you live in. I don’t have access to anything as exciting as a Downton Abbey Tea. But it was fun reading about yours.

Hi Rebecca!  Thanks!  It was fun to dress up.  Our library is still closed, several weeks later.  I think our town is very lucky, they’ve always done such interesting, fun programs for as long as I can remember, usually free or very low-cost.   It was the library that got me hooked on the show, too.  One of the librarians gushed that I just had to watch it.  (Our library has free DVD rentals, too).  Like Lisa said in her comment, I catch all sorts of things seeing the episodes again.  Thanks for stopping by!  Farmgirl hugs, Nicole

Nicole,

I had not seen the interview on the "Today Show". I bet I can find it online though. It sounds priceless and comical.

You know I hadn’t thought about the language. I guess because of the period of time this takes place. It is refreshing though.

By the way your outfit for the tea was AWESOME! You said you made your hat. I am soooo impressed. You look like you stepped out of a magazine for that era. Very cool.

I have had many discussions with friends and family and I think it is very likely that should I have been born in those times I would have been downstairs rather than upstairs. I love the pride they have for the work they do that today would often be considered unrewarding and not a "real" job.

Have you seen the Downton cookbook? Oh my! I had no idea something like that existed until my birthday came along and my mom got it for me. I don’t know how anyone could like blood pudding. LOL.

Cheers,
Lisa

Lisa,

I have not seen the Downton Abbey cookbook!  I will look for that, sounds interesting.  Although I agree with you on the blood pudding…ick.  Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole

Nicole, My dear friend hosted her second annual Downton Abbey premiere party at the opening of Season 3 and all the ladies came in fancy dress. Her Victorian house was aglow with flickering candles and shining silver and the dinner would have made Mrs. Patmore proud.

It is a marvel that this television series has entranced so many people from all over the world. Julian Fellows and Downton cast, hats off to you!

Terri, oh your friend’s party sounds wonderful!  How fun!  Farmgirl hugs, Nicole

Dear Nicole
In Danmark are we seeing Downton Abbey now. I like this series too.
Love farfar og farmor Dk

Hej Farmor! 

Won’t it be fun when we see each other again…tea, knitting, and Downton Abbey in the afternoon!  Love you! – Nicole

I’ve been a fan from the 1st episode! Love everything about the show from costume & set design to how well each actor was cast in their specific role. We’ve done tea in our family from before I was born as my Great-Grandmother Scarborough was from England. It’s very relaxing at the end of the day to sit whilst dinner cooks and catch up on everyone’s day. Your “costume” is great but even more so because it’s comprised of things you already wear. Me too! I’ve always been enthralled with everything British and even read UK versions of Country Living & Country Homes along w/ my MJF every other month! Cheers to a great blog and fellow DA fan & MJ sister!

I love this show. It is so neat to see how that era of England lived. I can’t wait for more episodes. And I love your hat by the way.