A really late goals update!

I'm talking LATE goals update. I was supposed to do this the first week of November😐
I've been busy..and not with my goals.

Alright let's see how this panned out....

Fun Goals:

•   Be tasters at the Madison Chili Cook-Off Yes, it was awesome!
  
•   Go to Trick or Treat in our downtown area. No but we finally found a neighborhood to trick or treat in! It only took 3 years.
•   Take Olivia to a pumpkin patch  No, but got some awesome pumpkins!
•   Do my barre dvd once a day Big NO
•   Save an extra $250  Yes, already spent on Christmas gifts.
•   Dig up new garden area and cover with cardboard and compost (this is technically a "house" goal but I consider it fun!)  No :( Work is killing all my free time.
•   Stock the freezer with fresh homemade pumpkin butter (Olivia's favorite thing) YES
•   Go to the Georgia Guidestones  No, again, work - boo.
•   Go to a fall festival Yes!

House Goals:

•   Clean out the last closet at the farmhouse (I still have an overflowing closet full of my stuff over there..Sorry mom!) I got most of it out, so I'm counting this one as a win.
•   Buy and hang invisible book shelves in bedroom Nope.
•   Pack and take donation boxes We donated food, but we are still packing toys/clothes.
•   Organize desk and Stella Kenton supplies Nope
•   Get couch out of the house! This should really be number 1. The people that used to own our house asked if we wanted to keep a couch and we said no, but they left it anyways. It's not a nice couch. It's not dirty or anything, it's just really old and ugly and just feels ehhh, plus it's taking up a lot of space. NO AHH
•   Unpack 1 box a week!! With my work and Olivia's school/after-school schedule and Joe's crazy long hours (converting a bunch of smaller companies they just bought) has made it difficult for us to get our house where we'd like it to be in a timely fashion. YES
•   Get Joe to move more of his tools to the shed. He insists on keeping them in his office for some reason and it's making me slightly batty. He moved some out and now he just has to organize the rest!

 Blog/Work Goals:

•  Blog 2 times a week NOPE
•  Start making products again and start advertising Stella Kenton again  NOPE
•  Start putting together a giveaway NOPE
  
  
  Got 8/19 done. Not that great but at least it wasn't 0/19!

12 Days of Christmas Swap!

Posting a quick update on the next swap I'm in with the Chaotic Goddess Swap ladies! Plus, it's a nice little distraction to what is happening in our crazy, hectic, political world.

I did this one last year and it is so fun! You and your partner each get a minimum of 12 gifts for each other to be opened each day before Christmas. Sign ups are open until Monday November 14, come join us!! 

Sign up here!

Swapoween Show Off

This year's Swapoween with all the awesome blogger ladies was great! It was a little different because we had an odd number sign up, so we had two partners! I sent a package to Rebecca and Beverly sent a package to me. 

I LOVE it all!

When I opened the box I thought the pumpkin was real! It looks great and is so cute mixed in with all my other decorations. I got my all time favorite candy, the mini Twizzlers, and some delicious Lindt pumpkin truffles and caramel filled Ghirardelli chocolate. I got some fall themed note paper, which is perfect because I am a list maker and some fall printed tissues!

I also got a delicious smelling Cinnamon Coffee candle, a beautiful stamped out pumpkin candle holder and some spiced potpourri shaped like little pumpkins. 

Thank you so much Miss Beverly, I love it all!!! 

The next Swap is the 12 Days of Christmas Swap! Come join us - sign ups start November 7.

October Goals

I haven't done a goals post in a while, which is horrible because it was always one of my favorite posts to do. The Goals Link-Up is run by Miss Angie from My So Called Chaos and Karen from A Peek at Karen's World.

I have a lot of goals this month. Winter is nearing and there is so much to do before it gets here. 

Fun Goals:

•   Be tasters at the Madison Chili Cook-Off
•   Go to Trick or Treat in our downtown area
•   Take Olivia to a pumpkin patch
•   Do my barre dvd once a day
•   Save an extra $250
•   Dig up new garden area and cover with cardboard and compost (this is technically a "house" goal but I consider it fun!)
•   Stock the freezer with fresh homemade pumpkin butter (Olivia's favorite thing)
•   Go to the Georgia Guidestones
•   Go to a fall festival

House Goals:

•   Clean out the last closet at the farmhouse (I still have an overflowing closet full of my stuff over there..Sorry mom!)
•   Buy and hang invisible book shelves in bedroom
•   Pack and take donation boxes
•   Organize desk and Stella Kenton supplies
•   Get couch out of the house! This should really be number 1. The people that used to own our house asked if we wanted to keep a couch and we said no, but they left it anyways. It's not a nice couch. It's not dirty or anything, it's just really old and ugly and just feels ehhh, plus it's taking up a lot of space.
•   Unpack 1 box a week!! With my work and Olivia's school/after-school schedule and Joe's crazy long hours (converting a bunch of smaller companies they just bought) has made it difficult for us to get our house where we'd like it to be in a timely fashion.
•   Get Joe to move more of his tools to the shed. He insists on keeping them in his office for some reason and it's making me slightly batty. 

 Blog/Work Goals:

•  Blog 2 times a week 
•  Start making products again and start advertising Stella Kenton again  
•  Start putting together a giveaway

If you'd like to link up your goals, head on over to here!

Swapoween!

Just making a quick announcement while I have a 30 minute break during my kitchen double (ugh).

I am so excited for the Swapoween Swap over at Chaotic Goddess Swaps! Come join us if you love Halloween, meeting other fun bloggers, and love swapping goodies! 

A Quick Fall Planting Guide

The second most wonderful time of the year.

Tied with spring planting time ;)

 

 If you live in a southern state you have a longer fall/winter growing season, if you are in the north or mid-west you have a shorter growing season. Now is the time to start your seeds, if you haven't already. You're almost out of time, especially in the cooler states.

The best crops to plant now are leafy greens, lettuces, hardy root vegetables, brassicas (cabbages, brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower) and garlic. The best time for planting garlic is late September through mid-November. The last two years I planted my fall garden in a large garden on our family farm, this year because of limited sunlight at my new home, I'm planting them in containers. All of these, including garlic, are super easy to grow in pots, deep window boxes, or standing planters. 

This year I'll be using a standing planter that a dear friend got me for my birthday.

The top row will house broccoli, the second and third lettuces, kale, and some smaller round carrots. The bottom is being saved for garlic!

Germination time for lettuce seeds is only 1-3 days! Get those babies planted and in 20-30 days (depending on how big you want them grow) you'll have fresh lettuce all ready to eat. My organic non-gmo lettuce mix seeds sprouted after only one day. Fall planting really is great, most things grow themselves, especially the non-gmo heirloom varieties - some have been around for centuries and are wonders to grow.

What are you planting this fall?

Book Swap Reveal!

As you know, I joined in the Chaotic Goddess Swaps Book Swap this month! My partner was Heather from spiritblog.net, she lives close to where I used to live and enjoys the same kind of books as I do. 

Heather sent me Paradise Lot as the book she loves and suggests I read. It definitely looks like something I am going to enjoy! I'm always trying to find new inventive and smart ways to better my garden, this book will help!
The other two are from my wishlist, with the Chakra book being the one that Heather is interested in for herself.

I can't wait to jump into The Lost Art of Reading Nature's Signs. My yard/forest is the perfect place to practice what I learn from it. Thank you so so much Heather, you've provided me with endless days of reading and learning!

The next swap is Swapoween! Come join the fun!

Settling In

It's been a while since I've been here. Our new house, new puppy (!!), Olivia (she's in first grade, omg), work and our new forest have kept us so busy! Adult life = ugh! 

We're halfway settled into our new home. I'm in desperate need of shelves and a better organizing system, but that's in the works. I really do love this house and this land, living next to a National Forest and a huge lake has made life more beautiful than before and I didn't think that was possible.

We got a puppy, too! His name is Sammy or Samuel when he's in trouble or being extra cute.

He's a rambunctious little guy, but he is so super sweet and is my shadow. He follows me everywhere; I love it!

Samuel loves his stick😻 #labmix #blacklab #chocolatelab

A photo posted by ↠Bethany↞ (@bethanyymichelle) on Apr 20, 2016 at 7:32am PDT

 Isn't he cute?

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I need a push to get back into a better blogging schedule so I'm joining the ladies over at Chaotic Goddess Swaps for their Books 'N' Bloggers Swap! There's still a few hours left to sign up! All of the swaps I've done with them have been great, so I suggest you check it out :)

12 Days of Christmas Swap Reveal

Hey y’all! Sorry it’s been so long since I last checked in. We bought a house! ..And started renovating it. But, that’s for another post.

Today I want to show off what I got from my awesome partner, Amanda, over at Funky Frugal Mommy for the Chaotic Goddess Swaps’ 12 Days of Christmas Swap!

 We have quite a bit in common and I loved getting to know her! We both like gardening and chickens and have sweet little babies :)

It was a very pretty box to open!

There were so many goodies! I tried getting the majority of it all in photos.

 I LOVE that book! If you know me, then you know I love my chickens and anytime I can learn something new regarding them I get very happy. That cute little B stocking was also filled with some pretty delicious candies.

My sweet little Olivia got some awesome things from Amanda and her family and I love the Christmas napkins and all the earrings and rings!

It was such a fun experience getting to know someone new and opening all the goodies :)