Winterizing

Whether I like it or not, Winter is knocking on our back door. We've already had the wood burning stove heating us for the last month or so, sooner than I remember in past years. We rely on the heat from this little stove to keep us warm in the winter. We supplement with some kerosene heaters, one in the basement and one upstairs to keep the pipes from freezing. The main level stays nice and toasty but the house is 2000 square feet.

A recent article over at Natural Home magazine's blog inspired this post as most of their Winterizing tips won't really work for us:
~we turn our water heater on for 1 hour each day to heat water. Twice in the coldest part of winter if we need to shower that day.

~we don't have a thermostat because of the wood stove

So, here are our Winterizing techniques:

~Cover windows with the plastic film to keep out drafts upstairs

~Cover windows with wool blankets at night to keep out cold air. During sunny days we open some of them up to let light/warmth in.

~Seal off the upstairs and use only for showering

~Sleep down in the warmest part of the house during the coldest parts of winter

~wear lots of layers: 2-3 skirts, leggings, 3-4 shirts, hat, fingerless gloves

~roll up towels to place at bottoms of doors to keep out drafts

~hang curtains in doorways at night to trap all the warmth in our sleeping area

~use ceiling fans to circulate warm air

~layer our bedding: flannel sheet, fuzzy blanket, down comforter, wool blanket (helps to trap in heat)

~sleeping with hats on our heads

What are ways you keep your house and self warm during the winter?

Winter Wonderland

We haven't had a winter this beautiful in years! I've been outside 3 different times these past few days photographing the beautiful scenery.

indian summer

it has been a nice breezy day today in the 70's. laundry dries quickly on the line and i try to take advantage of it and get caught up before winter's coldness forces me to hang laundry by the fire to dry. i always seem to almost get caught up and then we have a rainy streak or life gets to crazy and i forget to keep at it and before i know it, there are 5 loads of laundry piled up in the bedroom waiting to be washed.

a bonus for this weather is the kids are outside playing and it is QUIET in the house right now!!

i need to make another 50 or so wipes for us. i think we are down to about 54 now. even though only 3 of us use them full time, we go through those wipes very quickly. although i can and have hand washed them,  i'd rather just have a larger load since between them and the cloth diapers we use for wiping up messes constantly, i generally have a load of laundry once a week just for wipes and diapers.

the time change has spiraled us down into the darkness. i loathe this time of year, it depresses me. i bought several full spectrum light bulbs, i need to install them. i'm really hoping to skip sad this year. last year hit me hard and i'd rather not go there again. i feel like i'm still trying to recover from it.

snowday!

at last!

life on the farm

i was digging through my old pictures trying to find a picture of an herb when i came across this old picture of jaden...it's about a year or so old. this captures her perfectly...the sparkle in her eyes, the smile on her face. she is (usually) such a beautifully sweet little girl so full of love and joy. since sage has been around, i feel like i've lost her. i am so caught up in trying to keep him safe (and the house from being destroyed) that i never seem to have a moment to cherish her like i did the first two years of her life. it breaks my heart to feel this way and i'm working hard to try to get some of those moments with her again.


it has been cold here with no snow. :( we haven't had one single snow this year other than 1 dusting that was gone before it even touched the ground. if it's going to be this cold, it should at least be pretty. we've been sleeping downstairs because the upstairs is in the low 40's at night. brrr! but, downstairs, it's in the 60's right now. we have a futon and 2 papasans that we scatter between the living room and playroom and camp out on. very cozy! the wood stove is in it's 2nd winter here and is heating better and better. next year should be even better as it takes a few years to break them in.


the does are looking pregnant, some of the sheep are (some it's hard to tell through all their wool). i'm hoping the sheep are pregnant, i've never actually seen woody acting anything more than a little brother to them. i'm looking forward to some mutton this year! it's been a few years since i've had it, we just can't justify the cost but now that we raise our own, yum!


i'm about fed up with our great pyrs. they keep attacking our turkeys, we've caught them playing football with a few chickens and they even harass the sheep and goats. the goat retaliate and butt them but it doesn't seem to phase them. i'm about ready to give them the boot. i'd rather have a donkey that we could ride or an alpaca that i could use the fiber from to protect the sheep anyway.


i'm very excited about the monthly herbal packet that i have been working on. i had to completely re-write february's packet (the herb i had chosen wouldn't work for some geographical locations and i'd prefer not to alienate people so i am using that for march). i'm still in the process of writing the issue but it's coming along, sage allowing. i'll post some teasers pictures once i get some uploaded into the computer.