I think yesterday was the last warm day we’re going to get. It was beautiful. 70+ degrees. A little overcast. Hardly any wind. So I took everything outside and attempted to work. But really, I just couldn’t. So I sat with the girls (it’s that time of the year for hawk migration and therefore less free ranging time for the girls). I even thought about reading a book, but I couldn’t do that even! So I pulled out the camera and started snapping pictures.
The girls are doing good. They are tired of being cooped up but such is life at the moment. Unless I have the time to sit outside with them, they are locked up. I do like having chickens and would rather them not become meat birds for the birds of prey (or any other predator but so far we only seem to have issues with hawks). I did have a dream the other night that I scared a hawk out of the trees in the front yard. Pretty reminiscent of when we had a hawk kill one of the chickens in the front yard a couple of years ago. Sigh.
I’ve been working on setting up some organizational systems to keep myself on track and see where my business is headed. I’m moving everything over to Quickbooks (Simple Start). I have been using Excel but it’s a lot of inputting of data and so far I’ve found QB to autofill a lot of things once I’ve put the information in. I also like that I can pull a report fairly easily. I like Excel. I use it for a lot of things, but I’m not very well versed in how to run reports, etc. so it just isn’t inspiring me to do any paperwork/bookkeeping/accounting. I have it on my calendar that every Friday is supposed to be paperwork day (i.e. enter expenses, income, file, etc. etc.) but that has yet to happen. Mostly because I feel uninspired. But now I actually want to put those receipts in! I want to see where I’m at with my business! I’m also taking a good hard look at our personal finances too. We’re going into the season where there won’t be a lot of income (but we’ve saved a ton of money this year) and I want to keep track of our expenses. Have you read this blog before? I just discovered it last week. It seems a little repetitive but I’ve learned some things from cruising back through the archives a bit. One thing she does that I really like is track her monthly grocery spending. So I’m starting that for October. Join me if you’d like. At the end of each month we’ll just do a little post about what all we bought and how much we spend for the month. It’ll be fun! And a real eye opener I think.
I made applesauce the other day and used the peels and cores to make apple cider vinegar. It’s super easy. Just take all your peels and cores and put them in a clean jar. Cover with water. Put a weight on the top to keep the peels and cores under the water (they’ll mold otherwise) and secure cheesecloth to the top. Date your jar (I use a piece of tape with the date on it) and then in two weeks or so, strain out the peels and cores. Cover the jar again with cheesecloth. Wait another 4 weeks or so and you should see a ‘mother’ growing. Once it has a mother it’s pretty much ready. I store mine in the pantry but someone over on insta just told me they read to store it in the fridge. My one jar of ACV from last year just grew a ‘skin’ over the ACV. I left it in the pantry with the cheesecloth still on it. It works for me, but do whatever you’re comfortable with. It’s super easy and free! I want to make all the ACV now!
My calendar is filling up fast. I’m happy about that. I have a lot of behind the scenes things to do this winter (including that winter prep to-do list) and I’m grateful for a full plate. It’ll keep me busy and on my toes for sure! Speaking of, I have a special order of soaps and washcloths and salves and balms that I need to get to work on! I’m phasing product making out of my business but will always take special orders! And I’m still working on more classes. My goal is to have those ready to roll out next week. Stay tuned (they’re all virtual classes!!!). What would you like to learn about? Let me know and maybe you’ll see it as a virtual class!
’til next time
-k
xoxo
Cheryl | Time To Craft
You are so productive! I’m glad the change of software has enthused you in the admin department. QB is a far better choice than Excel as your business grows and grows. I’ve not made apple vinegar. With all the apple peel I generate at this time of year, I really should think of doing something with them. Touch wood, but we’ve not had problems with aerial attackers with our hens. Just badgers and foxes. I hope your hens keep safe. Like your idea on keeping track of the groceries. How detailed are you going to be? Off to check the website. I really should be cutting up apples!
chickenlibrarian
I’m slowly moving over to QB and boy am I loving it! I can generate a report to see how much I’ve spent or made or what-have-you. I just need some time to really sit down and finish inputting the information into it. But I am sure I’ll find some time this winter.
Definitely use those apple peels and cores to make ACV!! It’s so easy! Speaking of, it’s probably time for me to strain this batch. And then let it finish up over the next few weeks.
I’m not going to be very detailed with the groceries. Mostly just ‘we spent X amount for the month’. It’s more to keep us in check than anything. If I have time this week I’ll calculate it all and get it into a blog post. I should really finish up calculating how much the meat birds cost us too. I’m adding it to my list. Hehe.
Tracy
Hi Kristin,
Quickbooks is a must – I loved using that software when Mr. Gordon and I had our own business MANY years ago. It’s funny, he wasn’t so good at keeping stuff up-to-date; our accountant was thrilled when I took over. 😀 But it’s a great tool. You will be glad that you made the switch (if you are not already).
Since we don’t free range our girls (I wish we could), we do our best to keep them entertained. It is challenging, though. This summer a hawk sat in a tree over looking the coop. They girls didn’t even see it because of the run’s roof. (We also have welded wire over chicken wire under the roof, so no aerial predators are getting in. It was a good reminder to me that even though I’m tempted to let them out, this is just not the place to do it. I wouldn’t feel so bad if they had grass under their feet… Anyhow…
We got an InstaPot last year at Christmas. We actually bought it for Mr. Gordon’s son and his girlfriend, but they already had two. Argh. Se we gave them something else and kept the IP. It’s fabulous for Indian food made with beef stew cubes.
We’ve been stocking up here for winter as well. No canning. Yup, that’s right. No canning this year. We did freeze able 50 pounds of tomatoes for Feb. pasta sauce making. But no canning. I’ll share more in a blog post at GCER sometime soon.
Okay, stick a fork in me, I’m done!
(Your photos = heart-warming eye candy.)
chickenlibrarian
Tracy! I have officially made the switch to QB. Or at least I’m working on it in my free time. I imagine that if I can set aside some time weekly to update it, it won’t seem so daunting. But it’s the ‘getting it set up’ part that is the hardest. I suppose that I can always go back and change things if I decide something isn’t working (as in labels, accounts, that type of thing). I’m not a bookkeeper nor an accountant so that part is hard for me.
As for the chickens, lots and lots of people don’t free range their chickens. I still feel bad that they can’t go out like they want, but I really would rather keep them alive. So it is what it is. And I try to not feel guilty for it!
And I can’t wait to catch up with you over on GCER!!