For the Love of Strawberries

Posted on May 6, 2013 | 2 Comments

We are a family who loves fresh fruits and veggies, so when the opportunity came to pick strawberries, we loaded up the van and headed to the strawberry fields!

I thoroughly enjoyed our little adventure.   It was a great morning that rolled  science lessons, math lessons, a field trip, a buffet, and a fun time all in to one.

We divided the girls into teams of one Big, one Middle, and one Little with a basket and a goal.  The boys grabbed a basket and headed off with manly swagger to fill theirs faster than their sisters.    It is always a race.  Whatever it is, it is always a race!

They worked hard, but enjoyed every moment of it.  My job was to run the filled baskets up to the “office” and grab an empty one for them to fill.

In the picture above, you can see my boys (Israel -2, and Noah -14) roaming the fields eating and picking.   I am not sure if any of the strawberries that made it into Israel’s hands were ever put into the baskets.

The strawberries were so ripe, juicy, and sweet.

At the top of the fields stood an old shack whose front porch served as the “office”.  It fit perfectly with the couple who handed out baskets and took payment.

We took our bounty of eight overly full gallon baskets home to process.  The little trick of using a straw to core each berry worked beautifully.   Simply use a clean straw to poke through the berry from the bottom up towards the stem.  It will core it and pop the top off with ease.

We put all of the tops, cores, and trimmings to the side and fed them to the chickens.  They were delighted with their treat!  Oh, the happy squawking!

I dried 5 trays of strawberries in my dehydrator.  The chips will be used in our homemade energy bars.  They add nice crunch and flavor.

I cut up and froze a large portion of the strawberries to use in cobblers, smoothies, pies, and homemade ice cream this summer.

 I also attempted to oven dry strawberries as seen in this pin on Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/pin/102527328989401617/).   It did not work well at all.  The berries never dried as described and were far too moist to can in jars or bags.  Mold would have spoiled them quickly.  It is too bad it didn’t work.  If you try to oven dry them (not dehydrate them into chips), and it actually works, let me know what you did!    I am still intrigued by the idea.

With our strawberry harvest such a success, I am now looking toward our next fruit-filled adventure at the end of the month when we head out to pick peaches!

Do you enjoy getting out to the farms and being a part of the harvesting?

All for God’s glory,

~Rhen 

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Posted in As seen on Pinterest, Being Healthy, Family Life, in the garden, in the kitchen, Large Family Life, Little Man, Ms. Dimples, Ms. Giggles, Ms. Independent, On the Homestead, Rhen, The Youngin's, Young Man

Progress in the Upper Garden- It’s Getting There!

Posted on April 16, 2013 | 5 Comments

It’s not easy building gardens from scratch or rebuilding ones that are in complete disrepair, but it’s well worth the time and effort!   One of our three raised beds is just to the side of the house and named The Upper Garden.

It started out with giant gardenia bushes taking up most of the front of the bed.  I trimmed those back pretty drastically, but it will help with the shock of transplant and make them healthier as they grow back.  It took a good bit of digging to get them out of the ground.  They are now planted along the side of the driveway and will help to create a living screen between our closest neighbors and ourselves.  They are wonderful people, but I am sure they will appreciate the addition of privacy as much as we will.

  Most of the landscaping timbers were rotten and in desperate need of replacing. The railing on the back of the bed is attached to a cinderblock wall.  There is a about a 12 foot drop to the patio that our basement opens up to.  This railing was a top priority to keep the kids safe!

Once the bushes were removed, the rotten wood torn away, and the railing completed, Mark and I began rebuilding the terraced garden with 2×6′s and 4×4 posts.

We worked compost, shredded leaves, soil, and other amendments into both tiers of the garden to give a healthy and living base for our plants.

An afternoon of companion planting research and I have decided that this bed is for tomatoes, cucumbers, summer squash, lavender, multiple herbs, carrots, and a few marigolds.

The bottom left of the bed has cucumber and squash seeds that I am eagerly awaiting the sprouting of.

I have lavender, basil, oregano, thyme, sage, and cilantro is planted around my fountain on the right of the bed.  The top tier is full of tomato plants, and is awaiting the carrots and marigolds I have yet to sow.

I have planted lavender to use in my soaps and around the house.  After many years of being stored in tubs, I am finally able to unpack my collection of frogs to decorate my gardens.  This fat toad is one of my favorites.

I am also working on a little pathway to access the water spigot as well as harvest the herbs that are now in this area.

I am short just a few bricks to finish this path.  I am thinking of planting something in the spaces.  Any recommendations?

Next up, getting my fountain flowing!  I find the splashing sounds of the water trickling over the sides to be very relaxing.   A seating area just to the right of this garden (up on the porch) is where you will find me most mornings.

Once the plants have started filling out, I will update with a picture.

How are your garden plans going?  If you have written about it, share the link in the comments!

God bless,

~Rhen

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Posted in gardening, in the garden, Mr. Muscles, On the Homestead, Projects, Rhen

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A Never-Ending Parade of Tubs

Posted on April 11, 2013 | 7 Comments

Warm weather brings about far more than flowers, new leaves, and pollen.  It also drags me kicking and screaming into the dreaded task of changing out winter clothing for summer clothing and adjusting sizes for the children who have grown.  Ugh!

It all starts with what seems to be a never-ending parade of tubs being hauled into the living room.  Our family resembles a group of worker ants intent on hauling their loads.

Once our mountain of tubs has been built, it is time to begin the sorting process.  Some of the kids will need new sizes and warm weather clothing, while others will only need to switch out to warm weather items.  It only takes a few moments for my living room to look like a tornado has torn through the middle of it.

The middle girls enjoy this part of the job.  As I pull out items and determine if they are going to fit, the girls gladly model everything they can.  If clown colleges could see the show that commences and the outfits that are paired up, they would be taking notes.

My poor washer and dryer run almost constantly not only to wash our normal loads, but also to “freshen up” the clothing that has been stored in tubs for months.

Despite the children “helping” (destroying all of my neatly sorted stacks and mixing everything up), slowly but surely the mounds are diminished, the closets and dressers refilled, and the tubs stored away with their bounty of winter clothing.

The ray of sunshine through this dreaded chore:  purging!

Israel (2) is our final child, so all of the items he has outgrown or no longer needs can be donated.  Layla (3) is our youngest girl and everything she is done with can also be donated.

It is incredibly satisfying to load bags of clothing into the truck and take them to the donation center!  It makes the house feel just a little less full and a smidge lighter than it did before.

Ahhhhh.

God bless,

~Rhen

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Posted in cleaning it out, Family Life, Large Family Life, organizing, Rhen, The Youngin's

The Gorgeousness of Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Posted on April 2, 2013 | 1 Comment

The weather is warming up beautifully and that has plunged us full-throttle into our spring field trip season!

We began with a full day at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.  Last spring we started our field trip season with this field trip as well, but we waited about a week too late to see all of the tulips and early spring blooms.  This year, we were greeted by thousands of gorgeous flowers.

The gardens to explore are bountiful with treasures to be discovered by those who are willing to wander and search.

There are adventures to be had and fun to be chased down around every bend.

There is much to do, from sword fighting to taking a break in the library to relaxing and taking in a lovely view of a sea of blooms.

Did I mention…

And this my friends, is just the beginning!

Coming soon… the Civil War, hiking a preserve, an orchard, and the zoo.  *grin*

What field trips do you have coming up?

God bless,

~Rhen

Some of the places you can find me:

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Posted in Family Life, Homeschooling, Photographs, The Youngin's

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Saving Money Without The Crazy

Posted on March 18, 2013 | 3 Comments

If you follow me on Facebook, then you know about my recent introduction to the tv show Extreme Couponing.

I am intrigued and fascinated by the dedication these people have to amassing great quantities of grocery store items and imitating said grocery stores inside of their own homes.  Shelves and shelves, rows and rows, and looming towers of toiletries, drinks, and boxed goods take up whole rooms!

While I would never buy most of what they hoard, some of the items have my frugal side perking up and taking notice.  Getting toilet paper, paper towels, toothbrushes, hairbrushes, ponytail holders, cottonballs, cottonswabs, and floss for little money or free is definitely something I am interested in!

After gorging on 8 episodes (thank you, Netflix!) in a row, I have been inspired to try the whole couponing thing again.  Will you see me with binders and boxes of coupons?  No.  Will I be dedicating 20 to 30 hours a week to couponing?  No.  I have a goal of saving money without the crazy, obsessive, diving-into dumpsters, and stealing peoples’ papers side of couponing.  *grin*

I challenged myself to saving just $15.00 per week.  That would be a savings of $780.00 per year.  Any money saved about that $15.00 per week is all gravy, my friends.

How did my first week go?  I saved $26.00!  Booyah!

Coupons and I, we hit it off quite nicely.

So, how did this healthy-eating family save money?  Let me share my oh-so-short, yet fun, jaunt into coupons so far.

Costco is my weekly grocery store.  By simply planning this week’s meals and food stock-ups based on the coupons they are offering this month, I saved $7.00.  That was easy!

Next, I focused on another store we use frequently, Earth Fare.  They offer coupons, put out a weekly specials flyer, and have a point rewards card for shopping there.  Just for signing up, I received an organic whole fryer chicken for free.  I also was able to grab up an Irish cheese they were offering free this week.  Their coupon book had coupons for a couple of items we needed for this week’s menu, and a little perusing on the internet afforded me a couple of manufacturer’s coupons as well.  Total saved at Earth Fare, $18.00!

While $26.00 may not seem like a lot to some, it is a great step forward and an encouragement to me.  Just a little preplanning and checking the internet for sales and coupons to the stores I frequent, and I can save a little cash.  That little cash adds up to big cash!

My minimum per week is still $15.00, but I am a person who loves a good challenge, so you know full well that I will be looking to beat $26.00 next week.  *wink*

Do you coupon?  Are you a healthy-eating family who coupons?  How is it working out for you?  Any tips to help me reach my challenge goal this week?

God bless,

~Rhen

You can also find me on Pinterest- ContentedRhen   …   Twitter 

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Posted in Being Frugal, Being Healthy, Challenges, Family Life, Happening Daily, in the kitchen, Rhen

Wandering Sights ~Resourceful

Posted on March 6, 2013 | 2 Comments

We all have great questions in our lives.  We sit and ponder ways of making life easier and more enjoyable.

One warm summer day, as you are relaxing outside and contemplating just how tall grass should grow before it is necessary to whack it back to a more acceptable height, you are suddenly struck with a question that has the potential to offer people better health and lovelier yards.

How do you combine yard work and your need for feeling the wind in your hair as you pedal your bike?

Just like this:

This is genius!

All for God’s glory,

~Rhen

Some of the places you can find me:

Facebook- Rhen @Yes, they are all mine

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Posted in Photographs, Wandering Sights

Favorite Thrift Store Finds- January

Posted on February 5, 2013 | 6 Comments

Yes, shopping thrift stores is a great way to save money and keep your budget under control, but I enjoy the thrill of the hunt!  *wink*  Finding a treasure, a diamond in the rough, amongst a bunch of junk, is more than worth the time.

Here are my favorite finds for January.

I have been on the hunt for an adorable coat for my sweet Susannah.  She has a coat that is just fine for wearing outside to play in but not for going out in public.  I happened upon a gorgeous, chocolatey-brown Rothschild coat for less than $4.00!  Yes! Score for this thrifty momma!   I also found this adorable skirt.  It has a little gold thread running throughout, and it adds a touch of sparkle.

We had two great finds for Renee, both under $6.00 each.  The first is a black wool jacket that is gathered at the waist.  I love it when she wears it with a silky scarf tucked under the collar and flowing down the front.

The second is an absolutely gorgeous blue suede blazer with a lovely detail.  The kicker?  It is a brand new jacket with the original tag still on it.  That tag read $79.99.  Booyah!

Some women love shoes, while others have a thing for jewelry, and still others for purses and different bags, I have a little thing for jackets and blazers.  I am always on the lookout for something that is suede, loaded with personality, or just a little piece of eye candy.  *grin*

The warmth of this burnt orange suede blazer looks fantastic with my cream colored shirt, blue jeans, cowboy boots, and some simple drop earrings.

My “fun find” was this lap harp I discovered buried under a bunch of kitchen odds and ends.  It is missing one string (easily replaceable), and it was handmade in Romania (how cool is that!).  We are a music family who greatly enjoys finding and learning to play new instruments.  After our trip this fall to Fort Toulouse’s Pioneer Days introduced us to a fantastic character who beautifully played a large version of a lap harp, I had to snatch it up ($3.00)!

My January finds also include a few Van Heusen shirts in pristine condition for Noah, a couple of shirts for myself, several pairs of blue jeans for the kids, and a small tablecloth.

I don’t usually shop for myself, but I recently accomplished a pretty aggressive purge of my clothing, getting rid of items I never wear, I have lost too much weight to wear, aren’t my colors, or have become worn out.  I thoroughly enjoy putting together complete outfits that cost me very little.  Not to mention, the vintage items I find in the thrift stores totally fits my classic yet bohemian style.

How about you?  Do “hunt” through thrift stores?  Do you enjoy finding treasures for next to nothing?

God bless,

~Rhen

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Posted in Being Frugal, Family Life, Ms. Giggles, Ms. Serious, Rhen, The Youngin's, Young Man