hump day nuggets: bits of the season in photos and words
At the dinner table last week, Ruby leaned back and the entire top half of the chair crashed to the floor. She – with her bendy, snappy reflexes – was unscathed. The chair remained that way for a few days, the top and rungs in a sad heap on the floor. On Friday, I armed myself with wood glue and a drill and fixed that chair and the other three thrifted chairs that were also all wobbly and crooked. We now have four stable seats around our table.
After months of playing outside and several weekends away, it felt so good to button up, mend, fix and make our home this last week. I love ignoring homestead tasks in favor of adventuring and I equally love turning my attention to the details of our homestead. The seasonal change always lures my organizational muse in for a visit.
nuggets.
:: This old grapevine is nearly two stories tall and produces a ton of grapes every year. We’ve had two botched batches of jelly. This year, I’m hoping for success with the grapes we have left – Ruby has been training the chickens to catch grapes.
:: Our mild fall finally delivered a decent frost two days ago, officially turning all those bright blooms into carbon bits for next year’s crops.
:: We have been enjoying making Alice’s food. Except for the puréeing of bison liver during which time I think about raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens while holding my breath. Broccoli has always been her favorite vegetable and our plants have continued to put out little shoots that we steam and chop up in her meals. Ruby calls first dibs though.
:: Margot’s favorite chore is collecting eggs.
:: I spent most of Sunday in the garden, with the rotating company of variety of domestic and wild creatures.
:: We harvested the last of the beets and holy smokes this year’s crop may have finally produced enough beets for our family for the winter.
:: Raking up leaves which we will lay over the garden after we weed and plant garlic. Sculpture by Nathan Tonning.
:: Inside, we tidied and cozied up the space in which we will spend more time during the coming months. The stove is on. The wool blankets are draped over chairs.
My friend started a new business – The Dharma Door – that designs & sources Fair Trade, sustainable homewares and lifestyle products. Their mission is to bridge the gap between ethical production and contemporary style.
She and her family are offering you all a coupon code, good for 15% off your purchases: DIGTHISCHICK.
The Dharma Door sent us a few items and, honestly, I am just in love with them all. We don’t have much storage space in our home so I am always interested in attractive, functional solutions. Functional meaning it works, stands up to kid use and lasts a long time. Attractive being the most important thing to me. I believe there is no need to have anything in my home I don’t love to look at.
Solution #1. Shoes! I try to keep it simple here but still, my daughters each have four pairs of shoes. And then slippers and winter boots. We seriously don’t have anywhere for them to go! Their small shared closet is full and we don’t have a mud room. I am so pleased with the Hessian Sack. It’s beautiful enough to sit in our living room (and smartly covers the giant vent in the wall) and conveniently stores the shoes.
Solution #2. Stuffies! My daughters’ room holds all their stuff, which includes dress up, art supplies, books, dolls, instruments and toys. I’ve discovered that frequent rearranging of their things encourages fresh play with forgotten toys so, I change up their room often. The stuffed toys are a big favorite and the Loomed Basket is the perfect place for them to live. It is generously sized, super sturdy and easy to drag around the house.
Solution #3. Untouchables! I keep certain art supplies out of reach. Like, pastels, puffy paint, the effing rainbow loom, clay and beads. The top shelf is for moms and dads to help. The Hessian Bucket Duos are perfect for storage — they are a great size and are adorable.
Want to win something? Yep. The Dharma Door is generously giving away a Loomed Basket and a Summer Stripes Tote (I also have this tote and LOVE it; it goes everywhere with me. See a snap of it in action here). Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win! Winners will be randomly selected on Monday, November 3 at 8am MST. And, support this lovely company; use code DIGTHISCHICK for 15% off.
*WINNER* of the Loomed Basket: lucky #8. Congrats Jayne!
*WINNER* of the Summer Stripes Tote: lucky #78. Congrats Barbara!
Thanks, Dharma Door!
I’m hanging up my gardening gloves this coming weekend. We will soon be in ski mittens. First, Halloween and Day of the Dead. Then a five year old’s birthday, Thanksgiving. A seven year old’s birthday, Christmas. We are entering a season of big celebration around here. We will be enjoying those mended chairs often, I’m certain.
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