Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Not asleep on the job..
Things have been a flurry of activity here! I dropped and broke my camera last week, so I'm hoping to borrow my sister's camera and get caught up with writing and photos. I've got so much to detail: Addy's been completely potty trained for awhile now, Rafe is in the process of being weaned (hopefully we'll be done soon!), Barkley got a dog run, Mitch built me a compost pile, Gizmo came home to live with us, the chicks could now be called teenage chickens (but their coop still isn't ready), and my seed starters are showing signs of life! Spring is surely on its way, despite that freak snow shower on Sunday.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
SDS Applesauce Oatmeal Cookies
A healthier alternative to the "Vanishing Oatmeal Cookies" on the lid of the Quakers box of oatmeal. Great for those who can't have dairy (Rafe!). Gabi went so far as to say these are "more much better" than when we make the cookies according to the recipe.
1/2 cup applesauce (we use non sweetened--just apples, water, and vit C)
3/4 cup white sugar (you can skimp here, last time we didn't have quite that much and it was fine)
1 egg
3/4 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups oatmeal
Stir together applesauce and sugar. Add egg and vanilla; stir. Combine flour, baking soda, and cinnamon; stir with wet ingredients. Stir in oatmeal. Bake for 10-12 minutes, let cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes, and enjoy! Makes 24 cookies. I don't use the mixer at all for this recipe--just a spoon.
My timer just went off... gotta run! Enjoy!!
1/2 cup applesauce (we use non sweetened--just apples, water, and vit C)
3/4 cup white sugar (you can skimp here, last time we didn't have quite that much and it was fine)
1 egg
3/4 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups oatmeal
Stir together applesauce and sugar. Add egg and vanilla; stir. Combine flour, baking soda, and cinnamon; stir with wet ingredients. Stir in oatmeal. Bake for 10-12 minutes, let cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes, and enjoy! Makes 24 cookies. I don't use the mixer at all for this recipe--just a spoon.
My timer just went off... gotta run! Enjoy!!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Potty Training Success! && SDS St. Patrick's Day && New Family Addition!
Potty Training Success!
Addy's been staying dry all night for about two weeks now. For almost a week she's been peeing in the potty first thing every morning. Yesterday I decided we were ready to take the next step. I put underwear on her instead of a diaper. The whole day she only had one accident--during speech--probably because we were a bit distracted! She even pooped in the potty no problem at all. Rafe surprised me and twice while Addy was going to the bathroom he ripped his diaper off and peed in his potty seat! Guess he's catching on from watching Addy.
Today Addy wore underwear the entire day and had no accidents! She did a great job! I didn't even put a diaper on her at nap time. This afternoon we were going outside to play, so I tried to put a diaper on her, but she said, "No, I don't like Elmo." Then she said she needed to go potty and peed before going outside. What a big girl!! Rafe also peed in his potty seat once today. He's doing it completely on his own; I'm not going to push him.
Super Duper Special St. Patrick's Day
Today at dinner I was telling the kids how when Alli and I were little girls, on St. Patrick's Day, Grandma (my mom) would pour milk in our breakfast glasses, and the milk would turn green! I told them what mom had told us--leprechauns had turned our milk green for St. Paddy's Day! Gabi asked if their milk would be green tomorrow, and I told her that we'd just have to see!
About thirty minutes later, Gabi came over, very concerned that her milk would be green. Lol I couldn't believe that she would be apprehensive about that! She wondered how it was going to taste, and said she wanted her milk to be pink or red or orange--not green. I told her green was for St. Patrick's Day and that I could call the leprechauns and ask them to only turn my milk green this year.
Later I told her I had talked to them. She was relieved her milk wasn't going to be green tomorrow and decided she might take a tiny sip of my milk, and maybe next year she would have them turn her milk green.
Perhaps it would have been easier to put the food coloring at the bottom of their cup without telling them about it the day before...
New Addition to the Family
No, not another baby! Well, not another human baby anyway. We're getting a male pekingese--Gizmo-- sometime in the near future, probably next Friday. Mitch and I have been tossing around the idea since these pups were one week old. After finding life with three dogs much easier than I anticipated (besides the skunk ordeal..), we're ready to take the plunge.
We went to see them yesterday (they're a little over 5wks old), and I knew I'd fall in in love. The dad looked just like my old pekingese, Bear, in the face, and the pup we chose has Bear's coloring. The whole litter of seven was adorable--a bunch of little fluff balls. The girls and I are so excited. Rafe seems to be a "big dog" kind of guy.. he's not too sure about having to be "soft." Mitch is swapping out manual labor for the pup which is also nice!!
I don't have reservations about how Barkley will do. She did very well with the beagles. They were biting her, and she did nothing but sniff them. So long as she can get a smell for an animal, she's okay with it. Again, except for the skunk! I know she'll do well with a "little brother," but they won't be able to meet for about a month due to the quarantine.
It's true: Mitch and I are happiest when we've bitten off slightly more than we can chew... isn't life boring otherwise?
We've been enjoying this nice weather!!
Addy's been staying dry all night for about two weeks now. For almost a week she's been peeing in the potty first thing every morning. Yesterday I decided we were ready to take the next step. I put underwear on her instead of a diaper. The whole day she only had one accident--during speech--probably because we were a bit distracted! She even pooped in the potty no problem at all. Rafe surprised me and twice while Addy was going to the bathroom he ripped his diaper off and peed in his potty seat! Guess he's catching on from watching Addy.
Today Addy wore underwear the entire day and had no accidents! She did a great job! I didn't even put a diaper on her at nap time. This afternoon we were going outside to play, so I tried to put a diaper on her, but she said, "No, I don't like Elmo." Then she said she needed to go potty and peed before going outside. What a big girl!! Rafe also peed in his potty seat once today. He's doing it completely on his own; I'm not going to push him.
Super Duper Special St. Patrick's Day
Today at dinner I was telling the kids how when Alli and I were little girls, on St. Patrick's Day, Grandma (my mom) would pour milk in our breakfast glasses, and the milk would turn green! I told them what mom had told us--leprechauns had turned our milk green for St. Paddy's Day! Gabi asked if their milk would be green tomorrow, and I told her that we'd just have to see!
About thirty minutes later, Gabi came over, very concerned that her milk would be green. Lol I couldn't believe that she would be apprehensive about that! She wondered how it was going to taste, and said she wanted her milk to be pink or red or orange--not green. I told her green was for St. Patrick's Day and that I could call the leprechauns and ask them to only turn my milk green this year.
Later I told her I had talked to them. She was relieved her milk wasn't going to be green tomorrow and decided she might take a tiny sip of my milk, and maybe next year she would have them turn her milk green.
Perhaps it would have been easier to put the food coloring at the bottom of their cup without telling them about it the day before...
New Addition to the Family
No, not another baby! Well, not another human baby anyway. We're getting a male pekingese--Gizmo-- sometime in the near future, probably next Friday. Mitch and I have been tossing around the idea since these pups were one week old. After finding life with three dogs much easier than I anticipated (besides the skunk ordeal..), we're ready to take the plunge.
We went to see them yesterday (they're a little over 5wks old), and I knew I'd fall in in love. The dad looked just like my old pekingese, Bear, in the face, and the pup we chose has Bear's coloring. The whole litter of seven was adorable--a bunch of little fluff balls. The girls and I are so excited. Rafe seems to be a "big dog" kind of guy.. he's not too sure about having to be "soft." Mitch is swapping out manual labor for the pup which is also nice!!
I don't have reservations about how Barkley will do. She did very well with the beagles. They were biting her, and she did nothing but sniff them. So long as she can get a smell for an animal, she's okay with it. Again, except for the skunk! I know she'll do well with a "little brother," but they won't be able to meet for about a month due to the quarantine.
It's true: Mitch and I are happiest when we've bitten off slightly more than we can chew... isn't life boring otherwise?
We've been enjoying this nice weather!!
Monday, March 14, 2011
Garden 2011
It's that time of year! I placed our seed order from Fedco this morning. I buy through this company because they sell tons of heirloom seed varieties. They also sell some hybrids, but they are clearly noted to be hybrids. And all of the seeds--heirloom or hybrid--are non-GMOs (genetically modified). Additionally, they send refunds out with your seed order if they're unable to fill a request, or you can request them to substitute with another variety. My only problem with them is they're left-wing nuts. Not kidding. Examples from their catalogue:
Really folks, raise the top income bracket rate to 60%??
Anyway, If could find a better company with such competitive pricing, I'd jump ship. As it is, they are the best. Apparently even I can put up with the libs for awhile to satisfy my own needs, lol. They have multiple divisions: Fedco Seeds, Fedco Trees (fruiting/nut trees and berries), Moose Tubers (potatoes, onion sets), Fedco Bulbs (bulbs including garlic), and Organic Growers Supplies (cover crops and supplies). Fifty dollars later, I've got a good idea of how this year's garden will be shaping up.
I ordered bush beans, pole beans, kidney beans, two varieties of corn, two varieties of shell peas, muskmelon (aka cantaloupe), two varieties of watermelon, cucumber, zucchini, acorn squash, two varieties of pumpkin, gourd mix, two varieties of carrots, two varieties of spinach, five types of lettuce including romaine, loose leaf, iceberg, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, pimiento peppers, anaheim peppers, four varieties of tomatoes, and two varieties of sunflower!! I have navy beans I also intend to plant, as well as a third variety of watermelon. I'm getting really, really excited.
We have a couple friends who own a huge lot adjoining the one their house sits on. If we can get it all worked out, I'm planning on having a mini pumpkin patch complete with gourds, pie pumpkins, and jack-o-lantern pumpkins there. Ever since my [childhood] pumpkin patch closed down, I've been completely unsatisfied with the others we've tried. Figured I may as well bring it "in house." I'll probably be planting most of my bigger vining crops and probably the corn crop on their land.
Note: Alli and I are both growing a lot of vegetables and some fruit this year. We'll be selling our surplus--mainly because we aren't yet skilled on "putting it up" for the winter. First come, first serve basis, as crops mature. Interested in something specific? Leave a message, and I'll try to plant some extra.
As far as fruit goes, only the melons will be considered as surplus. My family will for sure eat or freeze all the blueberries from my bushes, and we do know how to make jelly from the extra berries! We're putting in an order for strawberries and raspberries and possibly some fruit trees tomorrow. That's the last day to order for the year from Fedco Trees, so if you want to add your order to ours, let me know ASAP! Shipping from Fedco Trees is $19, so the more people we divide it by, the less you'll have to pay. Like I said, tomorrow is the last day to order from the Trees division, so hurry. If you're wanting seeds, shipping is free over $30, and you can purchase seeds all the way through September 30.
If you remember our butterflies from last year and want to try it yourself, buy Dill (Mammoth is the variety we use) seed soon. It easily "goes to seed" (replants itself for next year) and will be a super duper special tradition for years to come. Swallowtail butterflies, as caterpillars, love dill. If you plant it, they will come and lay eggs. I promise. I'm going to have an entire post on it later including all the important details. I'll even be selling "Butterfly Boxes" if you don't have a green thumb or don't have room for a garden. It's simply a wonderful, easy project to do with kids!
Barkley Update: She's doing alright. She threw up multiple times after the booster vaccine, but she seems like she's going to be okay. She has had a hard time with vaccines before.
Beagle Update: Still vicious! They fight sooo much! I find myself yelling, "knock it off" a quite a few times through the day (per instructions from Mitch's sister).
Chicks Update: I need to take a pic! They're really growing and feathering out. I'm continuing to wean them to tolerate cooler temps by moving the brooder box light up. Hopefully Mitch finishes the coop within the next few weeks as temperatures continue to warm up.
Now we hear dire
forecasts from the Tea Party that President Obama’s
modest proposal to restore the rate to a whopping
38.5% from its present 35% will cripple the economy
even though it affects only our wealthiest 2%.
He ought to raise it to 60%!Really folks, raise the top income bracket rate to 60%??
Anyway, If could find a better company with such competitive pricing, I'd jump ship. As it is, they are the best. Apparently even I can put up with the libs for awhile to satisfy my own needs, lol. They have multiple divisions: Fedco Seeds, Fedco Trees (fruiting/nut trees and berries), Moose Tubers (potatoes, onion sets), Fedco Bulbs (bulbs including garlic), and Organic Growers Supplies (cover crops and supplies). Fifty dollars later, I've got a good idea of how this year's garden will be shaping up.
I ordered bush beans, pole beans, kidney beans, two varieties of corn, two varieties of shell peas, muskmelon (aka cantaloupe), two varieties of watermelon, cucumber, zucchini, acorn squash, two varieties of pumpkin, gourd mix, two varieties of carrots, two varieties of spinach, five types of lettuce including romaine, loose leaf, iceberg, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, pimiento peppers, anaheim peppers, four varieties of tomatoes, and two varieties of sunflower!! I have navy beans I also intend to plant, as well as a third variety of watermelon. I'm getting really, really excited.
We have a couple friends who own a huge lot adjoining the one their house sits on. If we can get it all worked out, I'm planning on having a mini pumpkin patch complete with gourds, pie pumpkins, and jack-o-lantern pumpkins there. Ever since my [childhood] pumpkin patch closed down, I've been completely unsatisfied with the others we've tried. Figured I may as well bring it "in house." I'll probably be planting most of my bigger vining crops and probably the corn crop on their land.
Note: Alli and I are both growing a lot of vegetables and some fruit this year. We'll be selling our surplus--mainly because we aren't yet skilled on "putting it up" for the winter. First come, first serve basis, as crops mature. Interested in something specific? Leave a message, and I'll try to plant some extra.
As far as fruit goes, only the melons will be considered as surplus. My family will for sure eat or freeze all the blueberries from my bushes, and we do know how to make jelly from the extra berries! We're putting in an order for strawberries and raspberries and possibly some fruit trees tomorrow. That's the last day to order for the year from Fedco Trees, so if you want to add your order to ours, let me know ASAP! Shipping from Fedco Trees is $19, so the more people we divide it by, the less you'll have to pay. Like I said, tomorrow is the last day to order from the Trees division, so hurry. If you're wanting seeds, shipping is free over $30, and you can purchase seeds all the way through September 30.
If you remember our butterflies from last year and want to try it yourself, buy Dill (Mammoth is the variety we use) seed soon. It easily "goes to seed" (replants itself for next year) and will be a super duper special tradition for years to come. Swallowtail butterflies, as caterpillars, love dill. If you plant it, they will come and lay eggs. I promise. I'm going to have an entire post on it later including all the important details. I'll even be selling "Butterfly Boxes" if you don't have a green thumb or don't have room for a garden. It's simply a wonderful, easy project to do with kids!
Barkley Update: She's doing alright. She threw up multiple times after the booster vaccine, but she seems like she's going to be okay. She has had a hard time with vaccines before.
Beagle Update: Still vicious! They fight sooo much! I find myself yelling, "knock it off" a quite a few times through the day (per instructions from Mitch's sister).
Chicks Update: I need to take a pic! They're really growing and feathering out. I'm continuing to wean them to tolerate cooler temps by moving the brooder box light up. Hopefully Mitch finishes the coop within the next few weeks as temperatures continue to warm up.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Emmie Game
We try to incorporate learning into every day activities. We've been playing the Emmie Game since Gabi was 18 months old. "Emmie" is baby-speak for M&Ms. Or at least what my kids call them! In this game we combine sorting with counting. We buy individual "fun-sized" packs of plain M&Ms and each kid gets a pack. They pour the "emmies" into the purple oval, then sort them based on color. Afterwards, we count the number of emmies for each color, and then count the total number of emmies. This is why Addy can count to exactly twenty-two... the bags average18-22 emmies. Gabi can do the game independently, but likes to have my mom or me to count the emmies with her at the end. We get Addy started by putting one red emmie on the red column, and then asking her to find the rest. We count the individual colors and total M&Ms with her. Rafe gets half a bag. He likes to put his emmies in the purple oval and will randomly place them on the board. Occasionally we'll get to count with him, but many times he eats at least some of them first. Clearly, this game is easily adaptable for a wide range of ages.
This is a scanned image of our Emmie Game board.
Click here to print off your own Emmie Game board! If you don't want to use colored ink, print in black and white and color it in. For some reason it wants to print a second blank page. This is my first time using Google Docs, so just click print page 1 only, and maybe next time I'll be better at it!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Barkley Fought the Skunk and the Skunk Won
Yes, you're reading that right. In general, I believe our bloodhound is a pretty darn smart pup. Whatever she lacks in brains, she makes up for in beauty.
But when your neighbors have a (probably rabid) skunk living under their side porch, eventually things are bound to go wrong. Last night, things went wrong. Mitch's sister and her family left for Florida yesterday, and we hadn't been dog-sitting her two beagles for more than 3 hours before all this went down. I had just finished putting Rafe to bed when the girls came down the hall saying something smelled bad. As soon as I stepped out of my room, I was hit with the strong smell of skunk. It permeated the house. I remembered hearing Barkley whining at the door while I was putting Rafe down and--knowing my neighbors are harboring a filthy skunk--correctly assumed she had been sprayed. Mitch was going to be back from kickboxing soon, so I just waited for him to get home.
Mitch let Barkley in, and as soon as she turned around in her kennel once we had all the confirmation we needed. Poor thing smelt horrible--of course, the day after we spent $43 getting her groomed. Luckily, Chiquita and Ginger have a very strict schedule and at that time were inside the house in their kennel. I have no idea what I would have done with three skunk-dunked dogs. So Mitch put Barkley back outside and took the kennel into the kitchen to clean it. He opened it up to find blood! Barkley was still standing by the back door, and sure enough her nose had either been clawed or bitten.
We couldn't really do much else at that point besides move Barkley's kennel to the garage and let her sleep out there. This morning, Mitch called Animal Control. Her last rabies vaccine was in November, so she was good there, but they told us she needed a booster. The College Hill vet closed at 12pm today, so Mitch had to take off work at 9:30am to take Barkley in. In addition, she has to be kept away from other dogs for 45 days--how convenient when we've got two extra dogs at the house! Mitch was too busy to take the rest of the day off and went back before 11:30am. Tonight he's going to wash her with a baking soda, vinegar, and Dawn soap mix. Hopefully it helps. We wanted to send her back to the groomers, but they don't do it!
Have I mentioned Ginger has already bit Rafe's fingers twice? The kids are used to sticking their fingers in Barkley's kennel and getting their fingers licked. I guess my little boy is going to have to learn quickly that these are nervous little pups that miss their home!
So, my house now smells of baby chickens, mixed with angry skunk, mixed with vicious beagles, mixed with bloodhound. I'm feeling fairly overwhelmed. Only 13 days until Mitch's sister gets home...... :-/
*I think I can; I think I can; I think I can*
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Dave Ramsey Live! Backstage Experience
Last December, when we found out Kemper Arena in Kansas City was going to be a venue for Dave Ramsey's Live event on March 5th, I wanted to purchase the $19 tickets and sit in the nosebleed section. We had just finished listening to Financial Peace University, Mitch's fire was lit, and he wanted to purchase "Backstage Experience" seats at $100 each. After reading online reviews, we decided to list a some stuff on Craigslist to offset the cost of the Backstage Experience tickets, so it wouldn't derail our progress. We're on baby step 6 -- paying off the mortgage -- and our goal is to have it paid off no later than May 1, 2013, so we really need to keep hauling! I'm sitting here trying to remember what we sold. I even texted Mitch to see if he could remember. We're drawing a blank. I guess that shows how little we miss whatever it was that we sold!
For Christmas, we got my sister and her boyfriend a 16-week online subscription to Financial Peace University. I know, I'm the funnest gift-giver ever, right? They were loving it and wanted to come with us. So, being the saints that they are, my parents donated about 15 hours of free babysitting, and Saturday morning we were off!
I was having too much fun wearing Alli's shades...
Some serious debt free talk! Actually, I heard a great deal about video games coming from the back of the car.
We arrived at Kemper Arena at 10:15am. Parking was $7, but we got a good spot. With our Backstage tickets we were able to go through a backdoor entrance, saving us from freezing outside! We waited in line until 10:45am at which time we surrendered our tickets for special passes and a copy of the latest edition of Total Money Makeover for the book signing, along with a fill in the blank workbook for during the show. It was pick your own seating in a large room filled with tables for the heavy hor'deurves. We had access to private bathrooms, which by itself almost makes it worth $100 per ticket. The food was good: fruit, veggies, crepes, chips with a heavy sauce, and a few other more "upscale" refreshments were served. The only bad part of the food was the cookies. They were completely stale and hard as rocks. Dave came into the room and sat up front for the book signing. Each person had their TMMO book signed and then got a pic with "the man himself!"
For Christmas, we got my sister and her boyfriend a 16-week online subscription to Financial Peace University. I know, I'm the funnest gift-giver ever, right? They were loving it and wanted to come with us. So, being the saints that they are, my parents donated about 15 hours of free babysitting, and Saturday morning we were off!
I was having too much fun wearing Alli's shades...
We arrived at Kemper Arena at 10:15am. Parking was $7, but we got a good spot. With our Backstage tickets we were able to go through a backdoor entrance, saving us from freezing outside! We waited in line until 10:45am at which time we surrendered our tickets for special passes and a copy of the latest edition of Total Money Makeover for the book signing, along with a fill in the blank workbook for during the show. It was pick your own seating in a large room filled with tables for the heavy hor'deurves. We had access to private bathrooms, which by itself almost makes it worth $100 per ticket. The food was good: fruit, veggies, crepes, chips with a heavy sauce, and a few other more "upscale" refreshments were served. The only bad part of the food was the cookies. They were completely stale and hard as rocks. Dave came into the room and sat up front for the book signing. Each person had their TMMO book signed and then got a pic with "the man himself!"
My mom said she thought Dave was thinking "cha-ching" in these pictures, but I wish to offer a different opinion. Had his sole motivation been money, he wouldn't have been the success he is today. He truly cares about the people he inspires through his books, merchandise, and events. To really give yourself a total money makeover, all you need to do is borrow his book from the library or buy it used off ebay. People pay to go through FPU or attend these events because he can get you fired up to start making changes in your life--TODAY. Alli's boyfriend went home and in less than two days has scheduled to move to cheaper apartments which will save him $250+/mo--not to mention the gas he'll save not having to drive across town so much. It's about making a change today to better yourself and your family tomorrow.
Many people told him a very brief synopsis of their journey, and occasionally he'd say "so and so paid off XX in XX months!" We'd all clap. I wanted to say something to Dave, but I froze. I should have spent more of the ride deciding what I wanted to say and less time singing!! Oh well! We were escorted to the stage and we took the front and center seats. They had quite a bit of a pre-show complete with infomercials, but at 1pm Dave took the stage.
It was a really good show. He's very charismatic and had a lot of energy. One of his daughters was there helping quite a bit throughout the day, and he spent a lot of time talking about family. He walked through all of the baby steps and told his story: millionaire in real estate by age 26 only to go bankrupt and lose everything and is again a millionaire, this time debt free! After the first break I felt a headache coming on, not to mention engorgement from Rafe not nursing all day. It was a killer. I really wish I had brought earplugs. My big takeaway from the event was at they very beginning. They talked about how in the early days Dave drove around in his pickup with a projector doing these events and on good days 50 people would show up. That day he was speaking to a sold out crowd of 10,000. He had a vision for himself and through helping others has achieved meaningful success. At least that's what I read between the lines! It was great, it was fun, and then it was over.
When the show ended and we got back in Alli's car, I was on the verge of vomitting. I was truly in misery. Then things got worse. In an attempt to find something to eat for dinner, they took an "18th street exit" which took us to the railroad tracks in a scene straight out of a horror film. I had my face covered with a shirt to hopefully stave off vomitting, but apparently we were driving down a tunnel on train tracks. Some scary "Silence of the Lambs" guys helped us find our way back to the main road. We stopped at a KFC, unknowingly in the ghetto side of KC! Let's just say we were all glad to get back on the highway.
On the whole I had a really good time, but was slightly disappointed because apparently the Backstage Experience doesn't include all it did a year ago. In reviews I had read they had dinner complete with ribs (not just snacks) and a full on answer-question session with Dave, plus a gift bag that included coffee mugs, mints, and more books than just TMMO. Live and learn. I had a great time with Mitch, Alli, and Matt; and it turns out my kids can do perfectly fine without me... for one day at least!
So how is this Super Duper Special? If we were laden with debt I wouldn't be able to stay home with the kids, something that is very important to Mitch and me. I also wouldn't have the energy to do all I do if I had to spend time worrying about money. I first read Dave Ramsey's plan as a sophomore in high school (after buying a brand new truck for my first car, a big no-no unless you've got a 1M+ net worth) and really took the principles to heart. We really don't miss having tv channels. We really don't mind driving cars older than our children (2001 and 2002). It's not a big hassle to write up a weekly meal plan. And yes we still have lives. Rich, fulfilled lives. With thriving children. As a sixteen-year-old, having a paid off home seems rather far fetched, but now we're closing in on it. Then, we'll be able to live and give like no one else.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Cost Breakdown
Double Egg Yolk Across the Pan
What does it mean? So intense! Lol, if you’ve never seen “Yosemite Double Rainbow” on YouTube, you’re missing out! We did start out yesterday with a double yolk. Not from one of our chickens yet of course, but from my uncle who gets his eggs from a guy at work and this one was huge (pics below). He actually gave it to Grandma who gave it to us because she knows Gabi loves double yolk eggs. I hope I keep my chickens happy and that they provide me with many double yolks. Maybe not everyone gets such a kick out of it, but we do! Only the large egg was in the pan at the time of this picture... it actually almost looks like a triple yolk!!
Raising chickens is fun, educational, and good for your health, but does it save money? Below is a breakdown of our costs thus far. I’ll continue to track the numbers (and the eggs!) to see where our breakeven point is. With 8 chickens, I’m expecting 200 +/- eggs per month, and we will be selling the surplus. For accounting purposes, the eggs we eat will be valued at $3/doz because we currently buy Eggland’s Best, which costs more than that. The surplus eggs will be sold for $2/doz.
One Time Costs
Chicken Feeder - purchased last year (approx $3)
Chicken Waterer - purchased last year (approx $5)
Heat Lamp - purchased last year (approx $15-20)
Heat Lamp Bulb - purchased last year (approx $6)
Brooder Box
We don‘t yet know the final cost of the coop. We got a ton of wood and awesome locks for $15 at the Surplus Sale, but we’ll definitely be needing more chicken wire and maybe additional hardware. When building a coop or brooder box, it’s obviously most economical to reuse wood. The “Surplus Sale” for local companys usually have good deals. Another place to find cheap wood is construction sites or Craigslist. Purchasing wood from a store will make the costs skyrocket. Buying a kit or a ready-built coop is the most expensive option. Coops big enough for 8 chickens can easily go for $1000+. If anyone does end up purchasing chicks, I’m sure Mitch would be more than happy to help with the coop designing/building.
All this wood for $15
Recurring Costs
Wood shavings - $7.71 (every 2-3mos)
8 RIR Pullets - $23.09 (every 2-4yrs depending on breed, if you put a light on so they have heavy production through winter, etc.)
Chick Starter food - $9.11 (unknown)
Permit - $25 (yearly for our area)
Our total costs for 2011 so far- $112.60
I don’t know how often we’ll have to purchase chicken food. I’m going to plant a good sized garden bed for chicken fodder complete with 50+ sunflowers, clover, and alfalfa to name a few. It’s healthier for the chickens to be eating living food plus it is cheaper. My goal is to eventually have the entire chicken production completely independent of processed/store bought food. Soon I plan to write about the chicken diet and what to plant to grow for chicken feed, but my very next post will be on the Dave Ramsey Live Event!
What does it mean? So intense! Lol, if you’ve never seen “Yosemite Double Rainbow” on YouTube, you’re missing out! We did start out yesterday with a double yolk. Not from one of our chickens yet of course, but from my uncle who gets his eggs from a guy at work and this one was huge (pics below). He actually gave it to Grandma who gave it to us because she knows Gabi loves double yolk eggs. I hope I keep my chickens happy and that they provide me with many double yolks. Maybe not everyone gets such a kick out of it, but we do! Only the large egg was in the pan at the time of this picture... it actually almost looks like a triple yolk!!
Raising chickens is fun, educational, and good for your health, but does it save money? Below is a breakdown of our costs thus far. I’ll continue to track the numbers (and the eggs!) to see where our breakeven point is. With 8 chickens, I’m expecting 200 +/- eggs per month, and we will be selling the surplus. For accounting purposes, the eggs we eat will be valued at $3/doz because we currently buy Eggland’s Best, which costs more than that. The surplus eggs will be sold for $2/doz.
One Time Costs
Chicken Feeder - purchased last year (approx $3)
Chicken Waterer - purchased last year (approx $5)
Heat Lamp - purchased last year (approx $15-20)
Heat Lamp Bulb - purchased last year (approx $6)
Brooder Box
- Wood purchased at Surplus Sale - $4.22
- Stainless steel purchased at Surplus Sale - $4.13
- Hardware and chicken wire - $29.02
- Wood purchased at Surplus Sale - $15.03
- Stainless steel purchased at Surplus Sale - $12.16
- Hardware - $8.13
We don‘t yet know the final cost of the coop. We got a ton of wood and awesome locks for $15 at the Surplus Sale, but we’ll definitely be needing more chicken wire and maybe additional hardware. When building a coop or brooder box, it’s obviously most economical to reuse wood. The “Surplus Sale” for local companys usually have good deals. Another place to find cheap wood is construction sites or Craigslist. Purchasing wood from a store will make the costs skyrocket. Buying a kit or a ready-built coop is the most expensive option. Coops big enough for 8 chickens can easily go for $1000+. If anyone does end up purchasing chicks, I’m sure Mitch would be more than happy to help with the coop designing/building.
All this wood for $15
Wood shavings - $7.71 (every 2-3mos)
8 RIR Pullets - $23.09 (every 2-4yrs depending on breed, if you put a light on so they have heavy production through winter, etc.)
Chick Starter food - $9.11 (unknown)
Permit - $25 (yearly for our area)
Our total costs for 2011 so far- $112.60
I don’t know how often we’ll have to purchase chicken food. I’m going to plant a good sized garden bed for chicken fodder complete with 50+ sunflowers, clover, and alfalfa to name a few. It’s healthier for the chickens to be eating living food plus it is cheaper. My goal is to eventually have the entire chicken production completely independent of processed/store bought food. Soon I plan to write about the chicken diet and what to plant to grow for chicken feed, but my very next post will be on the Dave Ramsey Live Event!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Grandma's Visit
The chicks are growing right before my eyes! Their wing feathers are coming in nicely, and all of them have at least the beginnings of tail feathers. This morning, I heard quite a racket in the brooder box. Feathers were rustling, and chicks were peeping. I walked in to find that one of them had managed to get a piece of the pine bedding from beneath the box, and the rest were chasing her trying to take it, as though it was a worm. I had to laugh at the uproar it caused!
Pa drove Grandma Margie over today to see the chicks. We sure love living less than 5 minutes away from them. As I mentioned earlier, Grandma still remembers her mother’s brooder box and holding baby chicks as a small girl. She was thrilled to hold our chicks and watch the kids make their own memories. She even drew us out a picture of how their barnyard looked when she was growing up in the oil camps in Oklahoma.
Their feed room was located directly north of the hen house to block the wind, and the entire south side had windows to heat it up in the winter. Nesting boxes lined the perimeter, and a large outdoor run allowed the chickens to get ample exercise. The barn is where the cow was milked and slept if the weather was bad. Every morning grandma’s brothers--Gene and Raymond--would have to milk the cow and turn her loose to graze. In the evening, they called her back in to be milked. Grandma and her brothers treated the cow like a pet, riding her and occasionally giving her peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
One morning her mom (my great-Grandma Annie) called the boys to get up and milk the cow, but Gene and Raymond didn't get up the first time they were called. Or the second time. Or the third. Until their dad (great-Grandpa Ernest) started walking back down the road; he had forgotten something at the house. Then they jumped out of bed and grabbed the milk bucket and hid it on top of a trunk in the closet, so he wouldn't know the cow hadn't been milked. When he got in the house, their dad went straight for the closet. It so happened that what he had forgotten was in the trunk. He saw the milk pail and asked what in the world it was doing in the closet, and Grandma Annie told him the boys hadn't been out to milk the cow. He sent them out promptly to milk her and put the poor animal out of her misery.
It's interesting to note that my great-grandparents were not farmers. They lived in the oil camp because that's how Grandpa Ernest made his living. In those days it was common to keep chickens, a milk cow, and even a pig. I hope to have a breakdown of start up and recurring costs posted before we leave for Kansas City tomorrow morning to see Dave Ramsey Live; however, "I make no promises; I tell no lies."
Pa drove Grandma Margie over today to see the chicks. We sure love living less than 5 minutes away from them. As I mentioned earlier, Grandma still remembers her mother’s brooder box and holding baby chicks as a small girl. She was thrilled to hold our chicks and watch the kids make their own memories. She even drew us out a picture of how their barnyard looked when she was growing up in the oil camps in Oklahoma.
One morning her mom (my great-Grandma Annie) called the boys to get up and milk the cow, but Gene and Raymond didn't get up the first time they were called. Or the second time. Or the third. Until their dad (great-Grandpa Ernest) started walking back down the road; he had forgotten something at the house. Then they jumped out of bed and grabbed the milk bucket and hid it on top of a trunk in the closet, so he wouldn't know the cow hadn't been milked. When he got in the house, their dad went straight for the closet. It so happened that what he had forgotten was in the trunk. He saw the milk pail and asked what in the world it was doing in the closet, and Grandma Annie told him the boys hadn't been out to milk the cow. He sent them out promptly to milk her and put the poor animal out of her misery.
It's interesting to note that my great-grandparents were not farmers. They lived in the oil camp because that's how Grandpa Ernest made his living. In those days it was common to keep chickens, a milk cow, and even a pig. I hope to have a breakdown of start up and recurring costs posted before we leave for Kansas City tomorrow morning to see Dave Ramsey Live; however, "I make no promises; I tell no lies."
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Before Buying Chickens…
Decisions, Decisions
When deciding whether you should purchase chickens, the first thing is to determine whether it’s permissible by law in your area. A good beginning search is “’your city’ poultry ordinance.“ In our town, you can have three pullets with no permit or up to twelve with a $25 yearly permit. Cockerels are not allowed.
After getting a legal “thumbs up,” choose a breed. This is a great form to help. Next, you’ll need to decide where to purchase your chicks from. Below are some pros and cons to the different options. Unless you’re purchasing “sex-linked” chickens or buying mail order chicks from a hatchery, straight-run is the only way to purchase day-old chicks. Sex-linked chicks are cross breeds specifically bred so their color is differentiated by sex. Hatcheries have specialists who are able to sex day-old chicks with 95% accuracy.
Hatchery Pros:
Ready to take the plunge? Before purchasing chicks you’ll need a few items:
When deciding whether you should purchase chickens, the first thing is to determine whether it’s permissible by law in your area. A good beginning search is “’your city’ poultry ordinance.“ In our town, you can have three pullets with no permit or up to twelve with a $25 yearly permit. Cockerels are not allowed.
After getting a legal “thumbs up,” choose a breed. This is a great form to help. Next, you’ll need to decide where to purchase your chicks from. Below are some pros and cons to the different options. Unless you’re purchasing “sex-linked” chickens or buying mail order chicks from a hatchery, straight-run is the only way to purchase day-old chicks. Sex-linked chicks are cross breeds specifically bred so their color is differentiated by sex. Hatcheries have specialists who are able to sex day-old chicks with 95% accuracy.
Hatchery Pros:
- Many breeds to choose from, purebred
- Can choose straight-run, pullets, or cockerels
- Minimum order of 15-25 chicks
- Higher mortality rate due to shipping day-old chicks
- “Factory setting” possible exposure to more disease from high volume of birds
- With shipping costs, this is the most expensive option
- Fewer breeds to choose from, purebred
- Can choose straight-run or pullets
- No minimum number to purchase
- Lower mortality, these can be a few days to a few weeks old, not true “day-olds”
- Purchased from hatcheries, so same “factory setting”
- Additionally exposed to disease from customers
- More natural setting, not exposed to thousands of birds
- No minimum number to purchase
- Cheapest option
- Low mortality rate
- Will be straight-run only, unless purchased at an older age
- Often will be mixed breed
Ready to take the plunge? Before purchasing chicks you’ll need a few items:
- Brooder box
- Heat lamp and bulb (infared lighting helps with pecking, although that isn’t usually an issue with small flocks)
- Feeder
- Waterer
- Food
- Newspaper or wood shavings to put down in the brooder box
- Chicken coop or plans to build one -- plans for ours will available sometime in the future
Urban Farming 101
Of Chickens and Men
Mitch, the kids, and I went to Atwood’s to stretch our legs on a cold Saturday (2/26) and came home with a little breath of springtime. A peeping, feathering breath, that is. We purchased eight Rhode Island Red pullets (immature females/hens) to raise and eventually gather eggs from. This is our second adventure into “urban farming,” and we had a lot to learn that first year despite reading as much as we could from books and online sources.
Right now, we’re just enjoying the new babies! They're still fuzzy and don't mind the kids picking them up all the time. Gabi (4) loves to hold “Henny Penny” (she has a more yellow head than the others) and “Chicken Little” (she has a browner head than the others) -- the rest are collectively called “Little Red Hens.” Addy (2 ½) likes to hold them with too, and pet their heads. Rafe (1 ½) grabbed one from the brooder box a little too tightly and the chick let everyone know about it!
Trial and Error
In March 2010 we purchased five “straight-run” (un-sexed) day-old chicks from someone through Craigslist. We paid $2 per chick, and they sent us home with a small bag of “Chick Starter” to feed them. We chose day-old chicks so that our “brood“ of three small children could have the experience of raising chicks from the first days. They were truly day-old and had to be taught where to eat and how to drink. A couple of times the first day I took each of the chicks and dipped their beaks in the water, and then let go, allowing them to swallow. They caught on pretty quickly.
We put them in the brooder box with the heat lamp the recommended distance from the floor, but the chicks were soon laid out with their wings spread and panting; they were too hot. I moved the light up until the chicks’ body language told me they were more comfortable. Cold chicks will huddle together and peep loudly to say, “where’s Mom?!”
We started out with a cardboard brooder box.
We loosely followed plans laid out in Capper’s magazine, which can be found here. It was very economical but turned out not to be very practical. Our chickens frequently knocked over the water--at first we used plastic container lids for food and water--which soon resulted in soggy cardboard. Additionally it was difficult to clean, and we always had to move the chicks somewhere else before cleaning it out. That was easy, until they were big enough to jump and fly short distances!
Soon, Mitch had built a wooden brooder box.
Chicken wire was added to the open half of the box after this picture was taken. It was more durable and sturdy but still difficult to clean. Every 5-7 days we moved the heat lamp up a few inches, making the brooder box a few degrees cooler. As their feathers continued to come in, they only needed the light at night, and eventually not at all. By this point we had bought a regular chicken feeder/waterer, but we didn’t realize how easily and frequently the birds would knock the one quart water container over. The spilt water in the wooden brooder box mixed with poop and newspaper was smelly and gross. Luckily our chickens were now old enough to go outside almost all the time, or we would have needed to build another brooder box last year. The transition to an outside coop will vary upon the breed and weather conditions, but they will need the brooder box for approximately 6-8 weeks.
All five of our chicks lived to make the transition to outside, but unfortunately they all ended up being cockerels (immature males/roosters), and we had to invite them to the July Chicken Fry! We purchased through Atwood’s this year mostly due to the fact that we needed all pullets. While I did help my aunt kill, feather, and dress the cockerels last year, it’s not something I particularly enjoyed, and we want eggs!
This year, our brooder box was built with cleanliness, durability, and functionality in mind. It has many upgrades and should last for years to come.
Food and water is located opposite the heat lamp. The flooring features small ½” chicken wire. After two days the chicks were accustomed enough to walking on it that the napkins could be removed, and now their poop will fall through to the steel tray that slides out for convenient cleaning/composting of the chicken droppings. We have wood shavings below the wire covering the tray to reduce/eliminate any chicken poo smells. It has worked great so far!
Coming Up: Considerations before buying your first chooks!
Mitch, the kids, and I went to Atwood’s to stretch our legs on a cold Saturday (2/26) and came home with a little breath of springtime. A peeping, feathering breath, that is. We purchased eight Rhode Island Red pullets (immature females/hens) to raise and eventually gather eggs from. This is our second adventure into “urban farming,” and we had a lot to learn that first year despite reading as much as we could from books and online sources.
Right now, we’re just enjoying the new babies! They're still fuzzy and don't mind the kids picking them up all the time. Gabi (4) loves to hold “Henny Penny” (she has a more yellow head than the others) and “Chicken Little” (she has a browner head than the others) -- the rest are collectively called “Little Red Hens.” Addy (2 ½) likes to hold them with too, and pet their heads. Rafe (1 ½) grabbed one from the brooder box a little too tightly and the chick let everyone know about it!
Trial and Error
In March 2010 we purchased five “straight-run” (un-sexed) day-old chicks from someone through Craigslist. We paid $2 per chick, and they sent us home with a small bag of “Chick Starter” to feed them. We chose day-old chicks so that our “brood“ of three small children could have the experience of raising chicks from the first days. They were truly day-old and had to be taught where to eat and how to drink. A couple of times the first day I took each of the chicks and dipped their beaks in the water, and then let go, allowing them to swallow. They caught on pretty quickly.
We put them in the brooder box with the heat lamp the recommended distance from the floor, but the chicks were soon laid out with their wings spread and panting; they were too hot. I moved the light up until the chicks’ body language told me they were more comfortable. Cold chicks will huddle together and peep loudly to say, “where’s Mom?!”
We started out with a cardboard brooder box.
Soon, Mitch had built a wooden brooder box.
All five of our chicks lived to make the transition to outside, but unfortunately they all ended up being cockerels (immature males/roosters), and we had to invite them to the July Chicken Fry! We purchased through Atwood’s this year mostly due to the fact that we needed all pullets. While I did help my aunt kill, feather, and dress the cockerels last year, it’s not something I particularly enjoyed, and we want eggs!
This year, our brooder box was built with cleanliness, durability, and functionality in mind. It has many upgrades and should last for years to come.
Coming Up: Considerations before buying your first chooks!
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