[homesteadmamma]

Good morning on this beautiful Sunday morning. Its going to be hot today, so were taking the day and going to the lake to visit friends. Woo hoo I'll be gone for most of the day and probably late tonight, will see how it goes with the kids.

I managed to get a couple hours of quilting in yesterday. I purchased a new fan and put it in my sewing room, which made it much easier to quilt in. I also finished the Log Cabin tutorial and will start on the next one on Monday.

We are still in severe drought here, with the crops beginning to really be stressed. They were looking so nice, but now are looking burnt!!

Hope everyone has a wonderful day "down on your homestead".


btw - did you notice the title. My the end of this week, will be starting August!! Where has the summer gone?

 

[Mom23boys]

The summer is flying by CJ. I can't believe August is coming so quickly. I will be back at work before you know it. I actually go back August 11th and the kids go back August 19th.

It is so nice to be back home from vacation. It is nice to get away, but even better to get back home!

We actually got back Saturday, but it was late. This morning DH surprised me with breakfast in bed and a pink rose across my plate. That was really sweet I thought. Then we went to town and bought the boys school supplies. DH decided to BBQ some ribs and he cooked the side dishes as well. Richard helped me load some things that needed to be hauled off and we took them off to the dump. Sure makes the yard look much better.

I am putting lots of water on our trees. Seems like the heat is really starting to burn them. We came home to see the leaves turning yellow in some places. I hope they survive.

I have everything put away from the vacation finally! Now I can enjoy the rest of the evening.

Tomorrow Dakota has a dental appointment at 8 in the morning. This should be his final one I hope. It is suppose to cost $410.00. I can't believe how much dentist charge. I should have went to dental school and became a dentist!!!

Anyway, that is all that is happening on the homefront here.

I hope you have a great week.

 

[mustang80]

On Sunday, we went to breakfast with our friends. After church, DH and I decided to take a ride. The city of Philadelphia just built a new football stadium for the Eagles, and they had an open house. You could go and walk around the stadium, even to the club boxes. Pretty much wherever you wanted as long as you wanted to stay. It was beautiful, but as DH put it, it's not warm and fuzzy like Veterans Stadium. It will be a real shame when they tear that down.

Afterwards, I picked up the kids at MIL and came home and did some laundry.

 

[homesteadmamma]

Good morning everyone. Well its Monday and I have lots to get done today. I keep putting things off, but today I need to stop doing that and become a busy beaver!! Ever feel like just not doing things? :toothy:

I'm washing clothes today and hanging them outside to dry. I have 2 loads washed already and another one ready to wash. Once they dry, I need to get them folded (with the kids help) and put away.

I need to make a couple phone calls and make some appointments and get that out of the way.

Tonight, I need to mow part of the lawn, the rest is almost dead from lack of rain. When I'm outside, I also need to get the flowerbeds weeded again. The portulaca is unread and no matter how much I pull, it just keeps coming back.

Later this afternoon, I want to do some quilting and then tonight I'll work on another tutorial block.

Groceries from Friday still need to be put away. If it doesn't get too hot, I also plan on making some Saskatoon jam.

Thats about it on my homestead for today!!

 

[MJsLady]

Well I am very happy to report that all my hard work this weekend is still done! I just need to do 2 loads of alundry and thats it! It feels so odd to have empty time during the day, on a Monday no less!
i started slow cooking beans in the crockpot last night so those will add to our chicken fahitas at dinner.
other than that nothing happening here!
Ds#1 left for a trip to guadalupe river with his youth group. Ds#2 doesn't want to join the youth group, so hes an only child this week!

 

[Mom23boys]

This is a typical Monday. Nothing is going right. The car wouldn't start this morning. I think I got some bad gas. Then I went and tried to start our other car we have for Richard and the battery was dead!! So I went to my MIL and asked her for a ride to DH's work to get his truck so I could take Dakota to the dentist by 8 am. It has been one thing after another. Then I learn more bad news from DH.

Well, enough about my bad day already. I have washed some towels and need to get up and throw them in the dryer. I need to sweep and mop the floors.

My mom is suppose to come visit tomorrow and take the boys home with her for a few days. Peace at last!! I need it!!! I might be able to get some things accomplished for a change without interruptions and fighting.

I hope you have a good day on your homestead.

 

[Heather]

Good morning! We are having another beautiful sunny day here, not too hot, just perfect!

2 loads of laundry are on the line and one more in the washing machine. I am packing the kids clothes as they are going to Grandma and Grandpas house for a few days while Kody and I are at the hospital (for his arm) I must also pack a bag for myself, I will staying in with Kody Wed. night and am trying to decide all what I'll need other than maybe a good book!! I must call the hospital soon to confirm Kody's appointment. This afternoon will be on the road taking the kids to my Mom and Dads. Hopefully I'll be home by supper time. My neighbour is coming over tonight and I'll show him what needs to be done for chores. He is such a blessing, when we do have to be away for a night or two he looks after the animals in the barn and the dog.

I need to water the garden and flowers and give them a real good soak. I am also going to try and bake some cookies for the kids to take to Grandma and Grandpa's, actually it's for Grandpa, he loves cookies!!

Have a great day everyone!!:smball:

 

[Heather]

Oh, Michelle, I hope your Tuesday is better than your Monday!!

 

[homesteadmamma]

Its Tuesday morning, bright and sunny out, with the promise of some cooler temperatures and rain this afternoon. Hopefully will get some.

I'm ready to take a short jaunt to the post office and then need to pick up a couple of veggies at the store. I didn't get the jam made yesterday because it was just too hot, so I think I'll do it today, with the cooler temperatures here.

All the flowerbeds are weeded and the roses are all in bud again. I need to pull a few of the perennials that are coming up as little babies and crowding out the rest of the flowers. I'll transplant those in my new flowerbed.

Other than that, its going to be a quiet day here. I'll be working on quilting for a bit as well.

Michelle, hope your Tuesday is better than yesterday.

Heather, hope you have a safe trip and that surgery goes well!!

 

[Mom23boys]

Good Tuesday morning! Thank you Heather and CJ for the well wishes. My Tuesday is going better than yesterday.

I hope the surgery goes as planned Heather. Keep us updated.

Wish I was there to help you with your jam CJ. I bet it is yummy!!

Today my mom is suppose to be coming to pick up my niece's notebook computer her mom bought her. She had it sent to my home so I could set it up for her. It is ready to go.

The boys are packed and waiting for my mom to get here. They plan on going home with her for a few days. She lives about 2 hours away.

I woke up early and started scrubbing the floors. Folded and put away the laundry as well. Then I finally got Karen (dz_blond_girl)'s package taped up for the July swap. I just mailed it out to her. I also cleaned the boys bathroom.

I have a few more chores to do and then I will be done for the day.

That is the buzz here on the homestead.

I hope you have a great day.

 

[homesteadmamma]

I'm missing all the homesteaders. Heather, hope surgery went well and that you had a safe trip. Michelle, nice to hear your Tuesday was better.

Its Wednesday. I woke up to sun shining, wind blowing and hostas fully in bloom. They are so pretty. My lavendar is blooming as well, so I need to cut some off and dry it. The smell is so pretty.

For the next several days I'm going to be super busy. We are just waiting for our supplies so we can start tearing down plaster and lathe, making 6 inch walls and then putting gyproc up in our living room. Its a huge job, but we only have the living room and m/bedroom to do and we want it done before fall.

With gas prices going up, were doing everything we can to help cut the cost of heating in our home. By doing the upstairs last fall, we cut our heating bill in 1/2. My goal is to be able to have the heat set at 62 all winter and not be cold and to see how long I can go before we turn the heat on.

So today, I'll be stripping off the wallpaper first and taking off baseboards and window frames.

I also need to get some apple jelly made today. The neighbour gave us some crabapples so that needs to get done before the apples go bad. I'll finish making saskatoon jam as well and that will be out of the way.

Thats the buzz on my homestead.

Edited to add: Change of plans here today. I'm going to boil down the crabapples and put the juice in the freezer. Its suppose to get hotter here than what they predicted. I'm trying to see how long I can go each day before I turn on the a/c. I'll wait until a cooler day before I make up the juice into jelly.

 

[Mom23boys]

Good Wednesday morning. What a beautiful day here. There is a chance of thunderstorms which I will take any rain. The heat is burning up the plants and trees. I am sure the water bill will go up as much as I have been watering lately.

Well, the boys all decided to go home with my mom for the week. I guess I will go get them sometime this weekend. It sure is quiet without them here, but I miss them.

I plan on getting in Richard's room and pulling up that carpet while he is gone. I kept saying I needed to do it and we never did. We put it off and then went on vacation and now that everyone is gone I figure I can get in there and get it done without interruptions. I want it done before he gets home.

So my challenge for today is to get the carpet out of his room!!!

That is buzz here on my homestead.

Hope you have a great day.

 

[Mom23boys]

Good Thursday morning. I hope you are all having a great day.

The weatherman said we have a chance of rain today. It has been thundering, but no rain as of yet. We sure could use it.

I was able to get all the carpet out of Richard's room yeaterday and the floor ready to lay the tiles. I started laying them last night, but ran out of them. I realized too late that it was going to take more than I had. So I have to go back to Lowes today and purchase more tiles and base board to finish the room. I can't wait until it is finished.

DH helped me haul off the old carpet and carpet padding last night. I hate when things hang around outside waiting to be hauled off. It is just a cluttered, ugly mess.

I have lots of laundry to fold and put away. I also want to get in Chris and Dakota's room and do some major decluttering today while they are still gone.

That is the buzz here on our homestead. What's the buzz on yours?

 

[homesteadmamma]

Good morning, I'm late this morning. I slept in after being at the village until 12:20 last night. Its also my one year anniversary at the village and I figured I should celebrate, so I played here until this morning!!!

Well we got about an hours rain last night and its pretty cloudy this morning. Hopefully will get some more, but not before I walk to the post office. Then it can come down for the day if it wants too.

I boiled down the crabapples yesterday and froze the liquid. Once its a bit cooler, then I'll make the jelly.

Dh is bringing home cucumbers, tomatoes and green peppers tonight from work, all free. So I'll be busy later deciding what to do with them once I see how much we get.

I need to get last night's dishes done as well, then I'm going to be quilting and reading for the rest of the day.

Thats the buzz here.

 

[mustang80]

Good afternoon! I missed this thread for a few days, it seems.

Today I concentrated on getting the house cleaned up. I mopped the floors last night, but I had a hot spot in the kitchen that needed attention. Now it's decent out there.

I worked on some laundry, and took DD1 to her friend's house. They are packed up to sleep at SIL house tonight, just for fun. Courtney is staying home.

I have to work tonight, but since the older girls are gone, DH and I are getting WINGS! :leg: yummy! :chef:

I would like to put up a few auctions before I go to work and clean up my ebay/desk area. I spend alot of time at the desk, so it gets messy.

I got my church cookbook finalized today, and I was so excited! I wanted to mail it, but found out you need 2 signatures, chair and co-chair. MIL is co-chair, and she is away until Sunday at a car show in Macungie, PA. Rats, it'll have to wait until Monday. This has really been a labor of love for me, and I can't wait to get the proof! Our church ladies will love it!

We got a homestead rebate today that we will put towards our kayaking trip on Sunday. It is also my birthday, and I can't think of a better way to spend it than paddling down a quiet river enjoying nature with DH and some friends.

 

[Strawberry]

I've been very busy in my country kitchen this week. I have company coming next week and I don't want to spend all my time in the kitchen so I've been making up as much as I can and freezing it. I will be feeding 12 people 3 meals a day for 6 or 7 days.

Here's what I've made so far this week:

meatballs in bbq sauce
marinated chicken breasts
chicken thighs in sauce
hamburger patties
cooked sausages ready for the grill
twice baked potatoes
make ahead mashed potatoes
36 mini quiche
vegetable soup
3 dozen buns
6 loaves of w/w bread
2 dozen ham and cheese muffins
2 dozen applesauce muffins
2 dozen bran muffins
1 dozen poppy seed muffins
two loaves of french toast
two batches of pancakes
lots of oatmeal raisin, peanut butter, and chocolate chip cookies
lemonade pie
orange ice cream pie
oreo dessert
apple crisp
I think that's all

Anyways, my laundry and other things have been sliding so it's housework for tomorrow.

 

[mustang80]

Today is a working day on the homestead. I'm working all day, then I have to pick DD's up from SIL house where they spent the night. My van also needs a new battery, so we'll get that tonight as well.

Tomorrow DH and I will go yard saling and work on the camper. The one awning arm came loose from the trailer and the roof needs to be painted with that silver sealent stuff. Hopefully the rain will hold off so we can do those things.

For Sunday, a kayaking trip came up and I can't wait to go! I've only used my kayak one time, and my paddle hasn't been used at all! I have to get my gear together and figure out what we are packing for our lunch. Sunday is also my birthday, so what a great way to spend it!

That's the weekend buzz here in NJ! :smball:

 

[Jeanna]

Well I thought I would jump in here. It will be a busy day here at my homestead. My dd had a friend spend the night so while they play today I am going to declutter and organize my sewing room. I also have a couple load of laundry to do and need to clean the bathrooms. My niece is coming over this afternoon to spend the night so that I can babysit her tommorow while my sister and mom can take her brother (20) clothes shopping in Asheville.
Well that's what's happening today. Better get busy.
Jeanna

 

[homesteadmamma]

Its Friday - a wonderful good morning to you. It looks like a hot day here, the sun is shining and I've opened all the windows, but will end up closing them pretty soon I think.

Seeing as we have a long weekend here and dh and I are insulating our living room, which means taking plaster off, lathe, making 6 inch walls and then insulating, I'm not doing much today. I'll get the kids to help me move the furniture into our bedroom so that we can start first thing in the morning.

I need to wash a few clothes and hang them outside to dry.

I'll get a chicken in the crockpot early and throw some potatoes and carrots in there later and put it all in the porch so it doesn't heat up the kitchen.

Once the kids are up, I'll be walking to the post office and to the hardware store.

btw - Strawberry, I'm coming to your house next week!!

Thats the buzz here.

 

[mrscornbread]

Man I have missed this thread, but seems that I never have anything domestic to post in here!~ Oh how I want to spend some time just loving my homestead, I guess better days are a coming, I'll just wait. For now I will just dream of all the things I want to do, while I do all the things I gotta do!

Tonight we are going to a ballet!~! I am pretty excited, I am going so that I can miss dance class, dh, ds#2 and I are going camping this weekend, hopefully leaving Wednesday evening and coming home on Sunday, but we will see with the new job and all...

Thats what its like here on my homestead!