Author: TZHuntley

Hello from Little Iowa Farmstead, I'm Tara. A wife, mother of four teenagers & fulltime CST (surgical technologist). I love my job-- I also love to do projects of all kinds at home. My project To Do list is HUGE... That's where this blog comes in. I want to be accountable for the ever growing list of projects that need to be, and that I want to accomplish. With my favorite play ground Pinterest, we all understand the To Do is long. Spring-Fall has us at our busiest with gardening, spring babies, getting ready for the county fair, harvesting the fruits of the growing season, and time for travel. During the winter, while the season is short, it feels like we just can't get out to 'DO'. So the planning & preparing happens. Here's to a wonderful, productive, happy, healthy New Year and all that we are blessed with.

Quilt Tops

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Quilting is an art I learned around 25 years ago. Now use the term ‘learned’ very loosely. It was more like I got a basic understanding with a class, a “Quilting for Dummies” one could say. We made a baby blanket. Although I didn’t have a baby at the time, and didn’t for five more years. I had hoped it would be easy, so I gave it a shot.

Fast forward many years. Okay, really a couple decades. I have sewn several quilt tops. I would throw a guess at just over 30. I know that number is not impressive to many people, but did you read a key point a couple sentences ago. Quilt Tops.

The reason they do not become a completed blanket accompanies a couple reasons. #1 being, I do not have a quilting machine. #2, I realize at some point that we have so many blankets already, I just don’t know what we will do with all of these.  So, my thought was to re-purpose some of the less liked blankets.  You know, the single layer, perfect batting type.

I used an old wool blanket once. The quilt top itself was just a scrappy quilt.  Knowing what wool will do, or try to do when put in the dryer, I was prepared it may be a bad deal. I used the simple tie method. I washed and dried praying for the best.  When I heard the beep, I went to the dryer and said a quick prayer, pulled out the blanket, and ahhhhh……It Was Just Fine!!!! Yes there was a slight shrinkage, yet not noticeable to those who did not know what it looked like before. It was more like a thicker inner batting.  Approximately seven years later, we use the blanket still. Very warm, but it has wool.

Now on again with my topic. I enjoy making quick easy quilts, not always thinking ahead to how I am going to finish them. I have joined block of the month at our local quilt store. This is a great way to get a small lap quilt for dirt cheap. On Facebook, there are quilting groups that also do mystery quilts, or block activities. For example, you make six of the same block, then send five of them to a group leader. Then they will send back five different ones from the other 5 people in your group. If you prefer a larger blanket, get into more than one group.

This is one I did around three years ago. Yes, I admit I procrastinate, a lot. I sadly have 7 quilt tops that need completed. Two of them are arranged to be machine quilted, the others, well it’s just timing to get them finished by tying. Any who. I finally bought the material for the back & sashing to make it a complete top. I then laid out an old blanket and the top. Trying to line it up close at the top and one side, and pin away. 

I didn’t want another tie blanket, so I sewed the lining and top together just down the two long rows between blocks. Then I cut off all the extra lining, and once again, laid the top now on the backing material. Lining up best as possible to two of the edges, PIN AGAIN. When I went to sew again down the two long rows, well I didn’t like the way it looked. It is not easy to follow a line while holding extra material. So on to Plan B! I did end up tying in the center of each block. It is alright, I prefer a finished blanket over one still laying in a pile of To-Do mess. If I would be brave enough to share my mess, you would understand.

Once I had all the blocks tied, I cut several strips of material three inches wide for the binding. Sew strips together, fold in half and iron, pin around the entire blanket. Sew on the binding. Now here is where I have began to slack on the last few quilts I have put together.
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All of the directions I have ever read on quilting, when applying the binding, one will sew on just like I explained, or like I have shown in the above photo. THEN you fold over the binding to the backside, pin and hand sew with a hidden stitch. This has not been the path to getting a quilt done quickly. I have now been taking that folded over binding, and sewing again. Trying to match up the front to back so it looks descent on both sides.

The finished project. Is it going to win any awards?  Only that it’s done and keeps us warm on chilling days. Actually it will be used all summer long. Strange?  I know, my husband likes to keep the house plenty cold during our hot months. He feels he sweats his honey buns off all day long at work, he will be comfortable in the house.
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If you have had an inkling to try and sew up an easy quilt, there are several online sources for patterns and wonderful instructions. Craftsy is a favorite for many DIY projects. Also there are free patterns for many projects other than quilting.
Everything you need to quilt and sew at Craftsy.com

Easter diy decorations



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Easter time is fast approaching, like every holiday it seems. Not just holidays, but anything I put in the calendar that I want or need to do seems to quickly be just around the corner. Lists are a great way to make sure everything gets a good start, but it shows just how busy life is.  This holiday, I was only able to get a few Easter DIY decorations done.

No desserts have been made yet this year, only easy peasy decor. All projects are made from wood I had laying around. The only one made from new wood is the wall plaque. This has potential to be a long post, let’s get started with what I made, I want to show you just how easy it is to do yourself.

Cross Plaque

You first need to know I am terrible with actually measuring. I generally just guess and cut. Not to many of the diy projects I do are measured with a tape. I knew what I was after, that’s what mattered most.

It was rather chilly this particular day. The wind was the reason for the chill. So I went and gathered up supplies from the shed and went back into the house. I then penciled out the goal on paper and made a first cut x two. This is the bottom and top boards that represented just how wide the wall hanging was going to be. I knew ahead of time I wanted to have a saying, so leaving room for that is a must.

Making the next cut was for the cross arm, or horizontal beam of the cross. First I cut the left side as wide as the wood I was using. Reason, I needed supports running along the back, and cutting it the same size allowed for smooth edges when finished. Now decide how wide the cross will be, and cut that board.

The rest of the cuts are super simple. Figure the vertical pole of the cross. Multiple cuts of the same size for each side, depending on how tall your cross will be. Don’t forget the top of cross, you will need this as well. Don’t be afraid to use different widths if boards. I used two, it’s what I had lying around.

Lay out the boards to formation of finished product in reverse, or upside down. Figure the back support boards and cut. I then nailed the support to each board in front. I will admit right here and now that the curse of not really measuring, well you will end up with jagged edges. It’s okay, clean up is soon. I took the plaque out to shed along with the skil saw <because that’s where it goes> and cleaned up edges and the cross for any board that may need a trimmed. Looks good!!

Now sand the front. My wood was inexpensive, kind of ragged, so a good sanding was needed. I seriously then took the vacuum and cleaned up the dust off of the wood.

And now it’s time to stain, paint or leave plain. Your choice! While that’s drying, if you do it this way, go ahead and start looking for a saying to add. Once your topping is completely dry, go ahead and add the sprinkles. You know, the perfect quote, saying or drawing. For this one, I first used a white colored pencil to lightly write out the quote. Once I was satisfied, I used a paint marker over the colored pencil template. Use creative writing fonts if you have it in you. ME, not so much, so I simply just added thicker lines  to some letters, and a swoosh or two.

I then added a picture hook on the middle back so it can be hung if I choose. This year it’s hanging, next year it may not be.

Empty Tomb

This is 3 pieces of old pallet boards I cut up last summer. I could have used the same wood as the wall plaque but was after old raw wood look. I cut 4 boards the same size for bottom and long sides. Then I cut 2 edge pieces. [Here is where I realized that my sides were going to be too high, so I did a quick cut down on all 4 side boards.

Pallet boards are not really wide enough to nail to with out splitting, and I didn’t want nails showing. So I decided to use caulk to adhere boards together. Just a bead of caulk down each edge and clamp together. It took awhile waiting for the caulk to dry, so I really was working on all of these projects at the same time.

Once I had the tray pieces put together, I added two small pieces on the bottom as bracing across the two long boards. Was it needed? No, just more piece of mind from only using caulk to hold this together. This way I wont worry of pieces falling apart. I then took the tray out to the ban saw and cleaned up the edges carefully. I was not concerned with “perfect” at all. I just wanted a small tray to hold the cross and empty tomb.

The rest was the easy part.

This stuff is really messy. Make sure you are over a table or garbage to catch the mess.

I bought some sphagnum moss and placed a few rocks on one side of the tray for the hill that the three crosses will go on. This does not need to be full of rock on this side as you will not see it. Place a sheet of this messy moss over and tuck in edges to corners.  I then placed a small spray painted terracotta pot on the other side and fit in several pieces of crushed concrete we just had brought in to fill our lane. This part is like a puzzle, getting the bottom boards covered and finding the perfect rocks to curve around the ’empty tomb’ to give it the look of being in a hillside. Then find a rock to place near by the tomb yet pushed aside.

Then I went and snipped off a single little tree branch that was five steps out my door. Snip the branches to make the crosses and attach with hot glue. I also wrapped thin twine string to help hold the two pieces together and for looks. I then made a very small hole in moss so I could dab on some hot glue to bottom of cross and stick the glue to the rocks under the moss. Hold for a few seconds while it sets up.

Finally I found some burlap ribbon that I cut a thin piece of to add the ‘He has Risen’. Staple gun each side of ribbon. I then covered each staple with a scrap booking paper flower attached with hot glue.

Daffodil Bunny

I found a 1×6 board laying around in my husbands shop. I considered that fair game.  So with a pencil I drew out the outline of a bunny. At first I was not so convinced I was going to make anything with out totally ruining the board. I then cut the shape out with the skil saw.

This poor looking thing needs some work.

I trimmed him up a little bit. Just to get the most obvious deformity fixed. Then realized it wasn’t to hard so I cut the second one. Sanded down the edges and spray painted. THAT WAS THE EASY PART!!

I found some wire I had again used for a project last summer and snipped up a piece to fit my bunnies.

Next, roll in the edges of wire to make a basket. Staple the one side down.

Then I took a piece of some sphagnum moss and roll into the basket. Then staple at the top to hold basket in place. This is not easy.

Trim off bottoms of daffodils and insert into the moss. You will need to take out daffodils to refresh in water or add new ones. As once they bloom, like most flowers, shelf life is minimal.
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Bunny Trail

This little thing is all scrap wood. One piece of 2×4 and some 1×2. Simple as can be, I found the wood and knew it would be just a little sign. I had extra 1x in granary from the crates I made at Christmas. PERFECT!!  I quickly cut the pieces to what looked like would make a border. Gave the 2×4 a swift sanding then painted with spray paint. Once dry, nailed on the borders with two finish nails on each side. With a paint marker wrote my words and DONE!!

Cinnamon Bun dog treats



Cinnamon Bun treat for today. I am out of dog treats and the last few came out of the freezer this morning and we need a refill.

Our dogs love treats. They are by no means picky eaters either. Well not our three big dogs, and if you look closely, you can see that our border collie is proof of this.  One thing we like to do for them is to make their treats. Too many stories on the news of tainted dog foods. Homemade anything is better because it’s made with love. RIGHT? A few simple ingredients and time in the oven is all it takes.

When we come across a recipe they really like that was easy to whip together, when we make it again, we make a lot and freeze them. Today I tried cinnamon roll treats and will definitely be making them again. I will say there will be some tweaking to the recipe, but all together this one is super easy.

Ingredients
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour– (next time I will use 2 1/4+)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup milk or water
  • 1/4 cup oil
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • preheat your oven at 350*

Simply add all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well to a dough consistency. I did not use a scoop for size making, just take some dough and rolled it into a log shape to decide what size you want. Keeping in mind the size of your dog.

Yes it will look like little dog turds. I guess it comes full circle in the end.

Flatten out the little log a bit, then roll up from one end.

Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and give it a little smash, not much. Continue to hand-roll out the rest of your dough.

Bunch of little poop piles.

I then added chopped up pecans left over from my Christmas baking. Perfect topping!! These need to be pushed into the dough a bit. 

Bake at 350* for 20 minutes.  The time will vary depending on the size you make. You will want them firm but not a puck. I have not made them before, so the counter life is not known yet. I recommend leaving a few out that you plan treating for a weeks time and freeze the rest.

Even the smallest cinnamon bun I made was still to big for our little Sophie. So she gets pieces of a bun each time, which is a good thing, it will make them last longer.

Changes

Now for where I would tweak it a bit.  Next time I am going to add a bit more flour due to when I was hand rolling the ‘logs’ my hands started getting caked with the dough. I am going to try rolling out the dough ball into a rectangle and cutting strips with a pizza cutter. This way I can cut thinner strips for our small dog and bigger for the other three. When the next batch is made, I will post any edits and let you know how they turned out.

Have fun with these!!!  And do not forget to make a few extra for your friends pups too.  Sharing homemade treats are a plus for everyone, even the dogs.

Operation Christmas Child

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During the holiday season we see several giving trees, boxes for toy deposit, and mission drives. It’s awesome at how much can be collected and donated to those who need. Oh now I completely understand we are months until Christmas. But this is one project that working on year round is worth. Let me tell you why…


A couple years ago I was introduced to Operation Christmas Child. My cousin blogged about it at aslightlybetterwife.com and it caught my interest. Now  Christmas is my absolute favorite holiday. I love decorating the tree, or in our home, many trees.  The lights and ornaments from handed down traditions and those that are made to go with a theme. Most importantly, I love getting to see family that maybe I don’t see but only a couple times a year. So OCC is a project focused on something I love, what could be better?  This can be done on a small scale or be a massive under taking if done with a group. Anyway you go about it is a great benefit to a child somewhere who may otherwise get nothing.

This year my 1st goal is to make gift boxes for six 12-14 year old boys. For me, this is incredibly easy. Having a 14 year old of my own, I am just thinking of items he would like. And yes, even though it is only March, I have already started shopping. Why? Well the turn in date comes faster than you think. While a lot of collection projects are starting in November and go through December. You have to have your boxes dropped off early in November.

This gets away from me easily. We are finishing up with field work, getting the yard cleaned up and animals ready to get put into proper barns as soon as the weather turns white. For us, and I am sure many others, fall is crazy. Maybe it’s my wonderful ability to procrastinate, that’s another story and today we are talking about little kids and Christmas.

Want to know what my plans are for filling these shoeboxes? To begin, I love a great deal. So buying early helps me to acquire many great deals throughout the year as item go on clearance. My biggest, best deal saver is at Menards. Please don’t think “seriously” until you hear me out.

Menards offers awesome rebates on several items through out the year. My favorite it free, or nearly free. You heard that right. Every Sunday morning, practically one of the first things I do, I look up the weeks ad online. I have the Menards app so in two clicks I’m there. I will confess, I think I have trained my brain, sometimes I wake up just around midnight and I have to look then. Finding a great deal determines if I will be making the 50 minute trek to our nearest Menards.  Of course I try to make multiple stops including Hobby Lobby and Goodwill. Sometimes just getting multiple rebates is worth it alone.

I have gotten free or nearly free paint brushes and rollers, wooden crates, sand paper, hammers, screw drivers, rope, picture hangers, caulk, spray foam, battery candles, dog dishes, and leashes. This is merely a small list. My most favorite was the purple canning jars. I got these for $1 a six pack after rebate. Sadly it was after canning season, but this is a new year, yeah you get it.

Anyhow, Menards has many ideas to fill a shoebox for 12-14 year olds. So far I have gotten rope, screw drivers and organizer caddies for free, seriously. I plan on adding a ball with a pump, socks, flip flops, pencils & notebook, marbles, shirt, fishing line & hooks. Some of these items are seasonal and will go on clearance at some point. Additional items will be added to stuff the box, I just don’t know yet what that will be. A letter to the child is another good idea letting them know they are loved and thought of in this season.  Ideas are endless, yet we do need to stay in the guidelines of do’s and don’ts. No weapon like toys or tools, liquid anything, candies and such.

One thing I need to add, when you take your boxes to the drop off location, it does cost $9 to help with shipping. After getting such great deals to fill the box, that last nine dollars is the cherry on the sundae.

This is a project in the making and I will be posting on my progress.  I hope you take the time to fill a box or two. Get your kids involved, after all kids love to help pick out toys and kid related items. Giving means a lot more to them when they get to input on a gift idea as well, like being a Secret Santa.

For answers to any questions, or ideas on what you can and  can’t pack in a shoebox, head over to this link.

www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/frequently-asked-questions/

 

This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. This will add no additional cost to you, just send a few pennies my way for adding advertisement on this post.

FAITH it does not make things easy, it makes them possible


  1. Luke 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.

What is “FAITH”? Confidence? Loyalty? Faith is a word that can be used in many situations. I have had to remember this quite often this last month. I’ve needed Faith in myself to not give up when I feel like I’m drowning in blog “to-dos” and still have my full-time job to go to as well. Faith that I won’t give up easily when I come up to a hurdle, or in some instances it feels like a mountain.

Here at Little Iowa Farmstead, the daily living has not slowed down a second, yet working this blog format has been one I tend to procrastinate on. Why? Answer #1, I just haven’t figured out all the linking yet.  I have certainly told myself “don’t give up on this yet” and asked for lots of “help me lord” in the last month. Walk away, come back later. The ideas keep coming. I do my part to take pictures, start title ideas or maybe drop a line or two for a draft start. That is behind the scene so to speak and can be easily deleted if needed.

On a wonderful note, I have figured out Instagram. This is super easy to keep snippets of Farmstead Happenings in the know. Perhaps I do the Insta snips to easily and don’t do actual posts. Truly getting the posts on the blog are not the real hurdle right now.

Where is the issue?

I just can’t seem to figure out a format theme that flows well with my pages. To be more specific, I have had to change themes a few times because ‘page’ titles don’t link with my posts when used on a slider. I made too many different pages that sit empty to begin with. When I change themes, the pictures I set for headers on the pages disappear. Does any of this make sense? I am struggling to find the eb and flow. So to get over my current hurdle, I switched to a very simple theme. VERY SIMPLE!!

I have a goal. It is not set too high, my goal is completely attainable yet moveable. And I will push it off further once I feel I’m catching up to it. Kind of like a rotating vision board. This blog has been baby steps for sure. Sometimes I think I jumped in the deep end first, now I’m struggling to stay afloat with all that should be going ” behind the scene”.

Faith is keeping me going. I know I can’t be disappointed with numbers or there lack of. I know my page is a bit slak in good material. Resources for  information on how to start a blog is aplenty. Good resources are hard to come by. One source had many things done in a matter of days. Get a name, write a pages, link up social media. Published blogging in the end of those short days. Share your blog name and all social media, go on a find common niches. Big mistake. Too much left undone.

Another source says to work slowly and one step at a time. Don’t try to make it ALL great at the same time. Start and finish each process then move on. This way there aren’t empty tanks for visitors. You know the disappointment when you go to the zoo and the animal is sleeping inside out of sight. Ooppsss!!!

I am following the later source now. Makes sense for sure. I have a few social media outlets sitting completely idol because I personally don’t feel I have enough content for them. Sure I can direct back to the blog. On the Little Iowa Farmstead blog I have a few posts, a couple empty topic pages and one for email. To be completely honest I have not thought much of newsletters to send out yet. And would more likely to panic should someone want to follow with email.  Do rainchecks work in blog nation?

There are a few other items that should be in the blog. That was part of the hurry and publish to make lots of money resource. Making 7 figures was not in my vision board. Heck I simply wanted this blog for my own accountability. Like I stated in my About Me page. I have an ever growing “to-do” list as well as several farm animals. The blog is more like a journal and goal intention or vision board.

For now…it’s okay. I am okay with the undone. There is a list of what needs to be  accomplished yet. Having the list gives me Faith to know what’s coming and what I will complete. Knowing it is not an easy adventure is okay. If it was easy, everyone would do it. I have always liked a challenge and being told ‘No’ is sort of unsettling. That is where having Faith to begin and courage to complete is all that I NEED right now.

Weekend away, cabin fever cure!!

With the cold winter we are having, it is a blessing to get a chance to break away from the chores for a couple of days. Just a quick get away, away from our everyday normal.

Every February the kids get a four-day weekend from school. We like to try to make it a cabin fever get away. When they were little, a favorite place was in Owatonna, MN.  The Holiday Inn there has kids suites, thus we had lots of room for a family of 6. There is an awesome water park that is kid friendly, yet relaxing for the adults too. Cabela’s was close by. We call it the dead animal zoo. The animals are always in view and the kids stay amused for hours. Most importantly, we stay warm. We have also taken a cruise. Those trips are always a treat. A few years we have just stayed home due to activities on the calendar.


This year, the trip came with a twist. With the kids getting older, and deciding there are more things to do than what Mom & Dad decide, our family outing was minus one child. Sonny boy decided he would rather go ice fishing with friends. So with that, he was in charge of the chores. That makes it easier than having Uncle come over to do our chores on top of all his own.  Hubby was going to stay home as a cow is due to calf during our retreat. And it’s always a good idea to be around just in case. But with the boy home, he thought one night away and only two hours from home was safe. The decision to install cameras last year helped too. Mobile monitoring can’t be beat. When it works.

Our destination — Sioux Falls South Dakota. This town has grown so much over the years. No chance of boredom at all. We don’t have an itinerary, but a couple of To Dos was mentioned. The trip was almost a girls only weekend until Hubs decided to come for the first night. Not that it’s a bad thing, it does change plans a bit. 

First stop, the hotel. The Hampton Inn was our home for a couple of nights. First impression–very nice. Staff greeted and checked us in in under 3 minutes.

 

And the decor made us feel right at home.

The commons gathering area is comfortable to hang out in. Outlets to keep the electronics charged, coffee for personal charging, TV for Olympic updates.

Our room was clean and spacious. Most importantly, comfortable. We don’t need fancy suites, but we don’t like to be on top of one another when in our room.

Not being needy when stay away from home allows us to appreciate a good hot complimentary breakfast. Waking up is on each person’s own time. Some very early, some need woke up before breakfast is shut down. Non the less, The Hampton  Inn hit the mark.

Our first evening was very simple. The oldest daughter came down from SDSU, got unpacked, and dove right into taking a couple quizzes.  Finally when she finished, we went to Sam’s Club to start price checking for graduation in May. Of course we stocked up on a few essentials. And most importantly, as the kids would say, got our fill of samples. We stopped to look at a furniture store then back to the Hampton Inn.

Getting to be supper time. Across the parking lot is Outback Steakhouse. Perfect. Convenience literally steps away. When we walked in, I guess the rest if the town thought it was supper time too. 50 minute wait. No thank you.  Hubs had a great idea. I called the restaurant, made a reservation for 45 minutes. Perfect. We stayed in the comfort if our hotel room. Low and behold I received a text about 35 minutes later saying our table was ready. Off we go, seriously less than a football field length from door to door. I will definitely use this technique again. No more waiting in the door way, watching people come and go. Thankfully it wasn’t terribly cold, but it is February in the upper Midwest.

The next morning, breakfast at the hotel. So many choices. The kids say they feel spoiled due to when they are at home, it’s one option, cereal. Unless their dad is not at work, he makes good breakfast.

The girls wanted to go see the Butterfly House & Aquarium. This was truly a neat place to see. Very informative, and staff were available for answers to all sorts of questions. There was lots of little kids running around. Lots of them. It’s alright, mine were little once too. Perfect place to go and visit on a Saturday morning after it snowed a few inches overnight.

Little quail running around. The clean up for bugs.

While the butterfly side of this naturally wasn’t hands on, once you entered the aquarium side, the shrill of excitement was every where. Beautiful tanks of ocean life surround you in this room.

There was a tank to touch sting ray and sharks. Another with star fish, sea urchins and sea cucumber. Actually, I had never heard of a sea cucumber before.

The large aquariums had facts, as well as a laminated listing of all the fish or plants in them.

There was some flashbacks of Nemo and Dory. I could hear their voices. Well Ellen’s mostly. It made me laugh. If you go to Sioux Falls, check this place out. It was $10 for each of us to get in, kids were cheaper. Unless you are already an ocean and butterfly expert, you will learn lots of cool facts to share with your friends.

Across the parking lot was another building. Similar to our Nature Center and free. They said they have 100’s of classes a year. Snowshoeing was on the list for the day. Too bad we weren’t dress for that. We are definitely going to come back when it gets nice out and take the trails around the area, and look ahead for the classes offered.

Next, Falls Park. The falls have been there for ever. I say that, but I really don’t know how long. There are remains of an old mill. My husband went there for a wedding when he was younger. I remember seeing them, but nothing like it is now. Now the area is set up like a scenic park. Even as chilly as it was, it was beautiful. From the Observation Tower, you can take in much more of the view. There were people at the information area but we didn’t go ask questions. Maybe next time.  This too was a free visit. We didn’t gift shop or eat, but it’s available.

And then it’s time for lunch. Pizza was the focus today. We like to try new places, or something we don’t have around us. Our middle daughter Tieg found a restaurant based on its tasty looking pizza picture — Fazoli’s. Turned out to be a pasta pizza place. If you like either, go there. Service was fast and they were busy. You also get free breadsticks if you dine in. Warm and tasty. Thank you.

While it’s a fast food, you don’t get that impression of the normal fast food. They bring your food to the table for you on real plates, quickly I might add. Add freshly shredded cheese…..YUM. There are staff coming around to check how the meal is, picking up plates and bussing the tables as soon as you are done. This place is very comparable to the cost of other fast food establishments, only you get sit down dine in service. Location is perfect as well. Across the parking lot from the mall. This is on the list to go to again.

Girls were ready to go back to the hotel and go swim. Perfect. Drop them off and Hubs and I will go look at vehicles. Not something I enjoy at all. But since mine was totaled in an accident with a deer. I’m on the look out for a good deal.

First stop, Home Goods and Hobby Lobby. Beautiful things, but when one doesn’t need a thing, and would prefer to get rid of everything one already has. Well I felt a bit anxious and needed out of there. There is just so much every where. No offence to those who walk out with arm and cart loads. Have fun putting it all away. Someday soon, when our addition is complete, I may enjoy shopping again. For now, I will pass.

Car shopping went about the same. There just isn’t the right one. So we went through one lot, when the dealer guy came buzzing along in his golf cart, yeah, I felt the take off as my hubs got out of there. No talking today. It was funny, but geesh, warn a gal next time.

The girls were watching a movie when we got back. So I pulled out a crochet project I started. Later we sat in the hot tub, then ordered pizza and turned in early. Girls went swimming again. I sure am glad they are old enough to tend to themselves.

Sunday morning, we ate breakfast at hotel again. You cant go away hungry. It would be your own fault. Checked out, said farewell to Hubs, he decided to stay the next night as the cow was showing no sign of calving. Girls and I went shopping. Well we tried. We are not good at it. No one needed a thing, much less wanted anything.  A few hours of just walking around, we decided to head our opposite ways. Zoe, north back to college, the two younger girls and I head east to home.

On our way out of town, I hear, “I’m hungry”. Ugghhh. Well it just so happens that we just passed a Pottbelly’s. Never have I eaten there. Heard on the radio from another town in Minnesota that it is really good. So let’s try it. Glad we did. For a sandwich shop, that was phenomenal. Loved the decor, staff gave great service. It must have shown we were newbies. Another for the list of “gotta go again”.

Homeward bound we go. Fun little retreat to get away. It was so good to get home. Even with the chores, laundry, and house work, there is no place like home.

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Marvelous Millie



WoodSnap Collage

FINALLY!!!!  I do not have words other than that. I have finally gotten a donkey. It may seem silly to many. A donkey has been on my ‘want list’ for many years. And finally, my Hubs has agreed that trying to break several steers for 4-H is more work than his body wants to do. With that, he agreed, and I went to pick up the Marvelous Mille.

We have worked up to nine calves each summer for the last ten years. Some years are easier than others. Some years, we wonder why we take so many steers to fair. Having four kids in 4-H, four kids who love fair, four kids who really like selling a steer in August. (Well maybe there are a few tears on sale day) That is why we do this.

Millie is a four year old Jenny. She was welcomed immediately by three of the dogs. They are the best at welcoming anyone & and anything. I do use the word “best” very loosely. If I didn’t worry about Millie taking a swift kick and doing damage to one of them, the three did well.

There surely is alot to learn when taking on a donkey. First and foremost, I was warned by the gentleman I got her from, be careful what we feed her. Now for you with equine, this may seem like no big deal. We were warned due to the fact we feed cattle, the protein in cattle feed can be fatal. Uuhhhhh…….Wait. What?

I have to admit now, I am a hypocrite. I required my kids to do research when they wanted a pet. I did look at some items on donkeys. In all honesty, that was  few years ago. I had no clue we had to be careful with certain proteins.

Well we can take care of that. Millie was put in with two cows who are due to calf very soon. These lovely ladies didn’t give quite the lovely welcome as the dogs. None the less, it’s a safe home for now.

Now to get a few donkey toys to keep her plenty amused until we put her to work as soon as the snow melts. And I will make some DIY treats for her. I found some at our local farm supply store at only $6 a bag. Not a deal breaker, I just prefer to make homemade treats for our farm animals. I then know what’s in the food that way.

Puppy Chow


Puppy Chow, Monster Mix, Muddy Buddy, Chocolate Chex, what ever you may; this messy, tasty, finger licking snack is quick to make in a pinch. There are so many ways to dress is up for special occasions as well. Add in a few colored candies of the current holiday, like M&M’s. Waa-LA. Don’t forget to hand out a wet paper towel with each handful, as this one is for sure the king of messy casual snacks.

Your ingredients:

  • 9 cups any kind of Chex
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar (optional more)

In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips, butter, and peanut butter. Start at 30 seconds, stir. Then go in 10 second increments, stirring each time. Don’t let the chocolate burn.

Once completely smooth, pour over the cereal. Scrape all the chocolate out of bowl using a scraper, then fold cereal and chocolate together. Be careful not to crush the cereal.

After the cereal is chocolate covered, pour in a little of the powdered sugar. Mix it up. Then mix in the remaining powdered sugar. You may wish for more sugar, if so, go ahead. Messier the better.

  At this point you can add in the extra candies if you want.  Mild Duds, M&M’s, mints, malted milk balls. Think about the theme, add accordingly.

Puppy Chow is an inexpensive treat. Share it and then make more.

Candy you ate as a kid

salt dough

Holiday Savings with Mason Jar Company

A few questions I asked myself while making salt dough. Could we do anything easier?  WHY didn’t I get these done for Christmas gift tags like the original plan was?  I could just kick myself, thank goodness I already know I am using the rustic look on the tree again next year, I will for sure make some for Christmas tags.  Anyhow, on to another super easy project.  Making this salt dough is like DIY play-dough.  EASY!! A bit messy non the less. That is a small price for how cute they turn out.  I had my daughter start this project, and I ran out of flour, so this contributed to the tacky messiness. My bad!!
AntiqueFarmHouse

What you will need

  • mixing bowl
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 cup salt (regular table salt)
  • 1/3 cup white acrylic paint (any kind will do, simply helps to keep it white)
  • 1/3 cup warm water (will add more bit by bit)
  • baking spray (I use Wilton Bake Easy)

 

Put the dry ingredients in your mixing bowl. In a 2 cup measuring cup, (like a Pyrex glass 2 C.) measure water, then add in paint. Stir these two together, then add to flour-salt mix. Stir this up until all the flour is combined into dough ball.  You may have to add water as needed.  1 tsp. at a time.  Use your fingers, yes, it’s messy, but it gets the job done quickly. Knead it around until all is combined.

Ours was tacky still. I ran out of flour remember.

At first I rolled it between 2 sheets of parchment paper

But after I cut the shape, I couldn’t get it picked up easily due to it being so soft.

So I just made little dough balls, no particular perfect amount. There are variety of thickness here.

On a parchment lined cookie sheet, I simply pressed the dough ball into the cutter shape.  You will have to spray every so often as the dough is tacky, and your fingers will stick. The spray was Wilton Easy Bake, similar to a flour spray so the color was just right.

As you see there are larger hearts.  I did these by making bigger dough balls, pressing into the heart cutter, then shaping it more after removing the cutter.  This can’t be done with all shapes of course.

I knew I wanted to string the heart shapes, so I broke toothpicks and stuck them in the top of the heart before baking.

There are options for drying:

  1. If you want the project done quickly like I did, preheat your oven to 200*.  Bake for 30-45 min. Time will vary with your oven, and thickness/shape of dough.
  2. Let the dough air dry.  This too will depend on thickness and size of dough, but is a more child safe option.

They then can be painted, strung, jeweled, glittered, or what ever your heart desires. I used inexpensive acrylic  and glitter glue.

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DIY Laundry Soap




Laundry in general is not something I necessarily find FUN!!!  It’s not the washing, nor is it the drying.  Well how can I complain about either of those.  I’m not out beating our clothes in a stream on a 40 degree afternoon. I don’t make multiple trips out to a clothes line. I prefer clothes from the dryer. The only thing, I ever hang is chore jeans in the summer, and sleeping bags after we go camping. I do not iron anything. I truly think about this when I pick out clothing. Laundry–It’s just NEVER ENDING!!!  Thank goodness my children are old enough now to help with the process. The biggest saving grace is we don’t go through several outfits a day due to spills, stains and accidents.

The DIY laundry soap started due to a skin reaction one our girls had with several types of detergents. I tried so many kinds. Unfortunately, it was also a battle with hand soap, dish soap, lotion, and shampoo. Thank goodness the reaction was only itchy, tingly feelings. But imagine always being uncomfortable. On a Pinterest play date I had one afternoon, I came across a pin of DIY laundry soap.  I am sorry to the gal who posted it, as I do not know who to give credit to, this wonderful find of five or six years ago.  I had no idea at the time I would be starting a blog.  We had figured out that soap at school was the worst– the best for her is Soft-soap brand.  Crazy as this sounds, the only dish soap that didn’t cause an issue was Ajax.  Yes she still had to take her turn doing dishes, and she didn’t want to wear dish gloves. Shampoo is yet to be the mystery we can solved. She tolerates certain brands, then eventually blisters in her scalp after using the same kind for too long. We have found that if she rotates brands, gearing mostly towards organic is the best. As well has always having dry shampoo on hand.

When I seen that the contents of making our own soap would be so easy, I wondered what I was so afraid of. The supplies for the laundry mix were simple, so I have nothing to loose in trying this as well.

Baking soda, washing soda, borax, oxi clean, zote, fels naptha, laundry booster of your choice.

All the ingredients can be found in the same isle, with in a few steps of each other.  Even easier yet, a few clicks on Amazon and your set. The Purex Crystals are interchangeable with what ever brand/scent you choose.  They can also be totally omitted as well if scents are an issue.  When I started using this mixture, I did not add a laundry booster. It has been only with in the last couple years that I have started.

Let’s get started. In a 5 gallon tote, pour all the powders. Then with a grater, get to work on those bars of soap. Watch the knuckles, finger tips, and nails. From experience, it hurts. I use the side of the grater shown. It takes awhile more, but is worth it.

When I first made the mix, I grated with the side just to the right. It was too big.  Yeah I could get through a block of soap in no time. The issue was that it didn’t dissolve in the wash very well, thus I felt like the clothes didn’t get a good rinse. ICK!! That doesn’t help with the reason I am mixing this all up.

Back to grating up the bars of soap, every so often, and more often than not, run the bar of soap through the powder in tote. The reason I do this is so the grated soap doesn’t clump. And it runs through the grater better. When you get a pile, flip your hand through it and give it a quick mix.

Once you have the bars all grated up, tip the tote on its end and get your hands in there and mix. Don’t forget the corners. Mix it up, turn. Mix it up, turn.

The laundry mix stays great in the tote with a lid. I found a 3 quart jar with a lid at a thrift store that I filled to store on top of the washer. For each load, I only use 1/8 cup. Maybe a little more for the chore clothes. Cost wise, it is so inexpensive compared to the liquid detergent I used to use.

AntiqueFarmHouse