The Valentine that stole my heart 2 years ago!
And all of my Valentines (photo 2019). I wouldn’t trade any of them.
So, I must confess I think I have a problem or maybe more of an addiction. I love planting. There is just something about growing and adding beauty to the land. Scott is going to make me seek treatment once he sees what all is headed our way from my latest plant order. Either that or he is going to make a profound argument on why he needs another tractor to accomplish all of my landscape wishes.
In my defense, the kiddos got super excited when these magazines came in. They were picking out all the veggies and flowers they wanted to plant. They even helped me clean out the planter beds and green house to get them ready for planting. How could I let them down?
Speaking of homemade and homegrown, these two got busy making their very own original valentine’s cards. We had an assortment of stickers to get creative with. I tried to encourage the cute ones like the puppies, kittens, and hearts. But, they gravitated towards the dinosaurs and action figures.
Another thing the kids and Scott gravitated towards was these GF + DF cinnamon roll muffins.
This Week’s Books
“Little Blue Truck’s Valentine” was a big hit with Shepard. He loves all the Little Blue Truck books but this one he raved about.
“Here Comes Valentine Cat” was a cute read. “Anywhere Artist” was a favorite for Ava. It definitely reminded me of her imagination.
Since we ordered our seeds and plants this past week, I thought we would find some inspiration in their kid books as well. To our surprise “Eating the Alphabet” was a big hit with Shep. He liked pronouncing all the vegetables and finding them if we had them in the house.
Ava has been on a Fancy Nancy kick. She doesn’t watch the show much, but she really likes the books. I think it’s all the French words. She likes to hear other languages. We do occasionally work on a little Spanish with colors, numbers, and short phrases. All of her French has been from Fancy Nancy.
Gluten Free & Dairy Free Menu
- Taco Potato Bowl with sautéed potatoes, taco beef, guacamole, and broccoli.
- Paleo Burrito Casserole with tortilla chips.
Our family has a love for sweet potatoes with guacamole, but lately we have been digging sautéed russet potatoes with guacamole. The Paleo burrito casserole was good. Instead of rice, this recipe uses riced cauliflower which adds a nice texture change.
- Chicken bacon ranch with kale, tomatoes, butternut squash with bacon, and green beans.
- Buffalo chicken with rice, corn chips, and broccoli.
These are probably my favorite go-tos when I just can’t seem to put a meal together or have the mental capacity to put much thought into dinner. Thankfully, they are usually well received from the fam. Occasionally, the kiddos like to tell me that the buffalo chicken is too spicy. Somehow when I mention ice cream for dessert they forget that and eat it without much complaint.
Farm Animals
So…..I think I also have another problem or addiction. I have found a love for raising chickens. Silkies are definitely a favorite. They are just so stinkin cute with their little fluffy bottoms and their overall demeanor. The kiddos love them. Thus, I ordered a few more to arrive in the Spring. I also couldn’t help myself and ordered some Easter egger chicks.
We love our buff orpington hens. After researching another nice breed to have around with children, I landed on the Easter egger. Plus, with all the colorful eggs I thought the kids would be even more excited about checking for eggs everyday.
Fitness
Does bundling up and driving tractors to do some land cleanup count for a workout? Because that about sums up my workouts for the week!
On Another Note…
This is something I have been doing with Ava since she stopped napping during the day around 4 years old. She has been doing this during “quiet time” for over a year now and she likes it. For me personally, I think it has been a great resource and worth it. There are so many things for her to do if she wants to color, play educational games, read books, or listen to a lesson. She apparently has an interest in the digestive system because I have heard that lesson several times just this week. I have just recently introduced it to Shepard and he definitely likes it. His favorite thing right now is the coloring. Ava loves showing him what all she has learned from it and all the things to do with it. One of my favorite things is the farm section, it teaches kids about farm animals and everything pertaining to them.
This Week in the Shop..
If you are fan of Lauren Conrad clothing, I have some super cute tops for sale in my Poshmark closet! You can check them out here.
I hope everyone had a fabulous V-Day and are staying warm with all this weather!
