Homestead Update #3

hello again friends! It's that time of the week for another homestead update. This week we didn't do much around the homestead but instead helped our friends with some renovations to their rental apartment. If you follow me on Facebook you've seen some sneak peaks about that. They asked if I could take some photos of the newly updated space and I'm really excited to try my hand at that! I hope I can capture the beauty of this historic building and the way they've really put their stamp on the space.

So this is a good week to just update on the every growing to-do list. I went back through some of my other posts (I'll link to them below) and am compiling the lists here. I'll mark off what's been done and what still needs to be done. So let's get started! It's going to be a long one I'm afraid. HEHE. Shocker!

Eggs

Let's get started with our egg count for the week and then we'll jump into projects! This week (1/9-1/15/2021) we collected 13 eggs. So just one shy of last week and the exciting part for this week is that Loretta, one of the Anconas. started laying again! As far as egg laying goes, the Anconas are not the most prolific. I didn't keep track of when they stopped laying, but it was sometime in October. And I think all the other girls have started laying again. I have 4 brown egg layers so it's hard to tell the difference in their eggs. I'll figure it out eventually. But I'm sure all 4 plus my black copper maran have all started laying again. That just leaves the white egg layers (the anconas). I was letting the girls free range yesterday and I was missing Loretta. I didn't think anything of it since they've been hanging around the house and coop due to the snow and cold. And sure enough when I went to the coop to collect eggs there was a white egg! So YAY for that!

Projects

So, now for the BIG update--the lists! If memory serves me, I have 2 different blog posts where I mention my 'to-do' list so let's take it one at a time.

The first list:

The first list is from June! I compiled multiple lists in that one post:

1. Process grape juice: DONE!
2. Grind deer meat: Done
3. Business plan: about 75% finished. Working on some items to add to the plan so I can finish it up (pricing, class list, goals, etc)
4. Set up chicken coop and run: done
5. Build raised garden beds: DONE!
6. Finish chalkboard wall: off the to-do list
7. Paint upstairs: ditto
8. Do some mending: mostly done!
9. Do some sewing (have specific needs for #8 & 9): done!
10. Organize photos: off the to-do list. See this post for details
11. Make soap (have a list of soap to make): nope. not yet.
12. Write an article for a magazine: ugh. Nope. Not even on the list at this point. Sigh.
13. Finish one knitted item already in progress: yes! I think I finished at least one.
14. Inventory class supplies: done!

1. Finish and ship knitted hat: done
2. Order yarn for 2 commissioned knitting projects: done
3. Make video (on soapmaking): off the to do list for now
4. Organize 2 photo folders: see #10 above
5. 3 blog posts (not including this one. I have 3 already mapped out): yep!
6. Catch up on reading blogs: yes! Now to start this week’s reading!
7. Craft Along Tuesday: success!
8. Make and list one new item in the shop and then promote it: nope. I focused on updating the blog instead.
9. Facebook Live Saturday: yes!

The there were these lists from that same post. All of the items on those lists were either done or taken off the list

Business:
1. Finish organizing folders on desktop (i.e photos)
2. Finish and ship knitted hat in progress
3. Blog: get facebook live videos onto blog (see info below)
4. Blog: garden post
5. Apply for grant
6. Apply for fall market
7. work on business plan
8. file paperwork, update spreadsheet (income/expenses)
9. Make soap video (not sure this will actually get done but I’ll keep it on the list until it does!)
10. Finish uploading videos to Youtube.

Homestead:
1. Mow (always mowing to be done. Weekly)
2. Clean up stuff from storage (still have a ton of stuff to go through, throw away, or donate. When will the donation centers open up?)
3. Keep house clean
4. Finish bathroom (we had a leak and we’ve been cleaning it up. I ordered a new vanity from Lowe’s put apparently they’re walking the vanity here from where ever it’s shipping from. Sigh.)
5. New screen door knob
6. Hang cast iron pans
7. Finish fancying up the garden! Herb beds, sprinkler hose system, plant potatoes, melons, flowers

The Second List:

Then we jumped to September and had this list:

1. clean the gutters (I’m pretty sure I can do most of them!): nope, but also off the list at this point
2. edge the front flower bed: yes! Done and edged with stone
3. transplant some bulbs and forsythia: bulbs are done but forsythia will have to wait until the fall
4. take the meat birds to butcher: done!
5. clean up the meat bird tractor, run–put shavings, etc. into garden beds: done!
6. pull all the veg plants from the garden beds, mulch with chicken shavings: done!
7. clean out egg layer coop, run (use the shavings in the garden beds): didn't get this done. Maybe this spring
8. finish chalkboard wall: off the list
9. paint upstairs: off the list
10. clean the windows: didn't happen.
11. clean shower heads: nope
12. rearrange, inventory freezers and pantry: Done
13. make and can applesauce: done
14. restock spices
15. inventory and restock emergency supplies (candles, batteries, etc)
16. test smoke detectors
17. wax wood furniture (I make my own natural wax and it works wonders on the wood furniture!)
18. Clearance out products in shop (see the shop for current sale items!): done
19. Clean and organize gardening tools, items, etc.: done
20. clean and organize sun porch: ha! this has been done multiple times!

And that brings us to one current list:

The Current List:

1. Finish Business Plan
2. clean out chicken coop and run
3. garden: finish moving to new location, plant garden and flowers
4. make soap
5. render lard
6. restock spices
7. inventory first aid kit and emergency kit supplies
8. test smoke detectors
9. wax wood furniture
10. add a rooster to the flock
11. chicken coop expansion: expand chicken run, put metal roof on current run, expand roosts in run, fix door between coop and run
12. finish chicken coop curtains (I've only been working on them for about 5 years!)

Looking back, I really did get a lot accomplished in 2020, even though I mostly felt like I was running around in circles for most of the year. I always feel like I have a lot on my to-do list and that I'm always doing the same things over and over (clean the house, tidy the sunporch, etc. etc.), but I have been working hard this past year to get organized and be more productive, in a good way. So I'm happy to see all this progress. I think we'll take some time in another post to update you on the behind the scenes things that I've really be working on here on the website. But for now, let's just take a deep sigh of relief and start tackling the little things on that current list!

'til next time
-k
xoxo

Homestead Updates

Homestead Update #1
Homestead Update #2