tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61008311750894934462024-03-05T04:45:01.860-05:00Wonderful Life FarmKate at Wonderful Life Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01393342818341678583noreply@blogger.comBlogger562125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6100831175089493446.post-38863204380726147652020-02-07T15:05:00.000-05:002020-02-07T15:05:32.751-05:00Moving Soon<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Hi, dear friends. This is just a quick note to let you know that I've been hard at work designing a new website! In just a few days, when you visit here, you should (if we've done our work right) be automatically redirected to my new site. There you will find most of the blog posts from this site. And, coming in spring 2020, I will be launching a SHOP! I'm super excited about this, and I hope you will come along for the journey!</span>Kate at Wonderful Life Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01393342818341678583noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6100831175089493446.post-33992563571351596832019-11-18T19:22:00.001-05:002019-11-18T19:22:03.185-05:00How to Establish Family Holiday Traditions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">When you're a newlywed, or a young family, just starting out on your life's journey together, the thought of establishing your own family holiday traditions can bring up feelings of both trepidation and excitement. Which holiday traditions will each of you bring from your own family background? Which will you create fresh that will become a hallmark of your family's memories for generations to come? How do you graciously excuse yourself from traditions where your presence is expected? Where do you begin? What is a family tradition?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For the purposes of this discussion, I'm defining a family traditions as...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>an action or behavior which is entered into with goodwill and done</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>collectively as a family with enough repetition as to create stronger family unity.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Communication</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Dreaming up ideas and beginning your own family holiday traditions is an exciting process that requires open and honest communication between you and your spouse. It may start as one conversation, but is really an ongoing discussion, revisited and reevaluated through the years. But you have to start somewhere, so begin by discussing what's important to each of you. You'll likely learn much about your spouse and his/her family in the process. If, for example, you were trying to decide what your family traditions centered around celebrating Thanksgiving or Christmas might be, following are some important aspects to consider:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- <i>Timing. </i>Will your main celebration be on the actual holiday, or another day? Will you celebrate on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? I once knew a couple whose grown children were all married with families of their own, and they wanted to be able to celebrate Thanksgiving with their WHOLE family. However, they didn't want to cause friction between themselves and all the in-law families, so their family Thanksgiving was always the Saturday before the national holiday.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- <i>Aspects. </i>What aspects of a holiday celebration are the most important to you and your spouse? Is food paramount, or are you content with ordering the meal? Do you want to allocate most of your budget to presents, or will your gifts be small and sentimental? How much time and energy do both of you have, and how do you want to spend it?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- <i>People. </i>Who do you want to spend your holidays with? Will it be both of your families together? Family and friends? Immediate family only? Just the two of you?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- <i>Faith/Sharing/Outreach. </i>How will you practice or demonstrate your faith in your family traditions? Will sharing with others, or some form of outreach be a tradition in your family?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>- Tone. </i>What tone do you want your holidays to have? Are you a go-for-the-gusto, Clark Griswold type? Do you crave peace and minimalism? Maybe you want a "the more the merrier" tone and have a full house on holidays?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>-</i> <i>Family Expectations. </i>Its a guarantee that both of your families will have some expectation of your presence around the holidays. How will you spend time with them? How will you show them love while having your own traditions?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In all this discussion, be willing to compromise. When we had our first child, I was shocked to discover my husband had the expectation that she would receive ONE present for Christmas, because that's what he remembered from his childhood. I, on the other hand, had about ten presents under the tree each year, tagged as gifts for me from: Dad, Mom, grandparents, the dog, the cat, the turtle, etc. We've settled on a compromise of about four presents per child for our own family. Expect some give and take to be part of your discussion.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Inspiration</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Maybe you've come from a family that didn't really celebrate much, or did not create traditions in the way that just makes your heart glow with yearning. Maybe you need some inspiration for ideas. Some of my favorite inspiration sources are:</span></div>
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- <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Family and friends. </i>Ask them about their most meaningful traditions. Which family traditions do they celebrate that you have always admired? How can you borrow some of their ideas and make them your own? Growing up, we had family friends whose children always received new pajamas on Christmas Eve. I can't remember a time I didn't adore that thought, so we adopted it for our family and added a new book with the pajama gift, because tucking in on Christmas Eve with a new book AND new pajamas is so cozy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- <i>Blogs. </i>Go back to the December postings of your favorite blogs to see what family traditions other have created.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- <i>Pinterest.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- <i>Instagram.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>- Movies. </i>What holiday movie scenes do you wish you could step right into? Why? Analyze what you love about that scene and create a new family holiday tradition from it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- <i>History and culture. </i>Maybe it's something from Christmases past that you'd like to pull into your world. Roast chestnuts. Play charades. Go caroling to your neighbor's homes. Or maybe something from your family's cultural heritage can be incorporated into your holiday.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Continuity </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Remember our definition of a family tradition includes "done with enough repetition...", so there is an expectation of continuity. Consider how rigid or flexible your family traditions will be. Once your start a tradition, if the family wants it to continue FOREVER, you might want to start simple, or on a smaller scale. If your holiday traditions will be grand and/or elaborate, you may need willing helping hands and an investment in materials, e.g.: cloth tablecloths and napkins, a turkey roasting pan, etc.).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Have Fun</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Finally, enjoy the traditions you establish, or change them until you do. And don't forget that some of the best traditions are ones that spring up spontaneously! Time, energy, and love lavished on your family is never wasted. Enjoying one another at the holidays is the best gift!</span></div>
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Kate at Wonderful Life Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01393342818341678583noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6100831175089493446.post-58272199933731035502019-11-06T15:24:00.000-05:002019-11-06T15:24:09.244-05:00Sunday Drives and an Autumn Tailgate Lunch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"Let's go for a Sunday drive," were words often said by my dad when I was growing up, but are seldom said in our own family. But a couple times a year, we opt out of our usual, restful Sunday afternoons in favor of a drive, and we never regret it. It's especially welcome when we've all been super busy, working long hours, and we've passed each other by all week without any meaningful togetherness. (This happens when you're all adults in the household.) It's an opportunity to reconnect as the road stretches before us and conversation, the scenery, some good food, and time together become the priorities for the afternoon. At the end of September, we packed provisions to tailgate and headed north to drive the scenic Kancamagus Highway in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We drove for many miles along this famous highway (pronounced like: kank-uh-maw-gus), stopping at several scenic overlooks to take in the views. The surrounding mountains were just beginning to sport their autumn foliage -- this was late September and peak foliage was probably two weeks in the future. We breathed in the fresh air and squinted into the blinding sunlight to point out distant peaks. We studied maps, noted interesting berries, admired the way the light illumined the drying grasses, and chatted with a man who was launching a drone. We read historic markers, watched the autumn leaves fall, crossed a covered bridge, and teetered our way, rock by rock, through a stream.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">All the fresh air and exercise gave us quite an appetite, and we were glad we'd planned to tailgate. We parked at the entrance to a fire road and set out our lunch -- just the three of us, surrounded by falling leaves, and tasty food.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>Provisions for an Autumn Tailgate Party</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>assorted cheeses</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Italian breadsticks</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>ciabatta loaf and good butter</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Effervé Pear Sparkling Lemonade</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>homemade apple crisp and Easy Apple Cider Caramel Sauce (recipe <a href="https://thecafesucrefarine.com/autumn-spiced-apple-cider-caramel-sauce/">here</a>)</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxOV3Sa-dIYKRIW_SuCEoQ7cg1SfxCsM8LQn5deuSxTnMdsFMSzMLyrO_Umzq2Pk0ogFF4WZ3puTGIdbRpGWoc1PqC-PbN2Fb9_0Zv-sYTgga0mSvfM-xz2aoiiPnMYGFvXOLBf_s7YRg/s1600/IMG_autumn-tailgate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxOV3Sa-dIYKRIW_SuCEoQ7cg1SfxCsM8LQn5deuSxTnMdsFMSzMLyrO_Umzq2Pk0ogFF4WZ3puTGIdbRpGWoc1PqC-PbN2Fb9_0Zv-sYTgga0mSvfM-xz2aoiiPnMYGFvXOLBf_s7YRg/s640/IMG_autumn-tailgate.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPDjMk3PpHns7p40_7sfB5gvqwZW_xBEKxmGyUwmtJ3-Qu2y82U6vBDKzcwXJ3B2LkgCHpJyQ3i8baYsAMUQELeHNIBWILHu7JwdtuHpcrMoGGbViv-PDpDfNCPVIARdULeCP0Xsz8XUE/s1600/IMG_tailgate-food-autumn-party.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPDjMk3PpHns7p40_7sfB5gvqwZW_xBEKxmGyUwmtJ3-Qu2y82U6vBDKzcwXJ3B2LkgCHpJyQ3i8baYsAMUQELeHNIBWILHu7JwdtuHpcrMoGGbViv-PDpDfNCPVIARdULeCP0Xsz8XUE/s640/IMG_tailgate-food-autumn-party.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Keeping with the same, no fuss, keep-it-simple plan I have for picnics, everything was store bought. I made a small amount of effort the day before in making the dessert. But really, I like to keep it simple on me, because if it becomes too much work to prepare, we won't tend to prioritize times like this, and they're just too valuable for family togetherness to skip. Plain and simple.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I'd love to hear what your favorite tailgating foods are? Do you tailgate just for sporting events, or just because? Do you have any great tailgaiting memories? Join the conversation by telling your story in the comments below! I'd love to hear!</span></div>
Kate at Wonderful Life Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01393342818341678583noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6100831175089493446.post-74812215729315882662019-10-28T17:18:00.000-04:002019-11-01T14:57:22.777-04:00A Halloween Reminisce <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Since Halloween is this week, I thought I'd dig through some boxes of old photographs and reminisce a bit about the Halloweens our family has celebrated. We've never embraced the scary/creepy side of Halloween, but we are all about the fun! For most of our kids' growing up years, we lived in a fabulous neighborhood for trick-or-treating...a real family affair of parents, kids, and pets going door to door, lots of ooh-ing and ahh-ing over costumes, and always the whispered, "Don't forget to say thank you!" in the dark. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGreDJ26pxfBYvgBgorGqEgVZshPjqHoHQu1wS5cZvLy0krfVC7iKNjT0nIyLs0kQu4N7cTSvM3Nwvy6eq2w78Db8SHpBReccrIYa4d-SU3C-tvZgMjEMvnstgceSl8lk0NjLUDMxcPg/s1600/IMG_6995.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGreDJ26pxfBYvgBgorGqEgVZshPjqHoHQu1wS5cZvLy0krfVC7iKNjT0nIyLs0kQu4N7cTSvM3Nwvy6eq2w78Db8SHpBReccrIYa4d-SU3C-tvZgMjEMvnstgceSl8lk0NjLUDMxcPg/s640/IMG_6995.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bethany, our oldest daughter, using the same candy pail that I used growing up.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRzUfYCpaDddtgPStHDRbDuOS7Zd5Yd-LE9SgpVNKxRglb8kVgwgWUsmFFvT6iJHWQYtmmMOvd7U-iYA_e9rz2vNAHt1cZ4cpHPSGC6YGc2sAEpg-214i3gkALOZFeSydzruWdTvASPMI/s1600/IMG_6992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRzUfYCpaDddtgPStHDRbDuOS7Zd5Yd-LE9SgpVNKxRglb8kVgwgWUsmFFvT6iJHWQYtmmMOvd7U-iYA_e9rz2vNAHt1cZ4cpHPSGC6YGc2sAEpg-214i3gkALOZFeSydzruWdTvASPMI/s640/IMG_6992.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Julia on her first Halloween - 1993.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Some years I got creative with the costumes and made them (like the pumpkins above), some years we purchased them, and some years we hodge-podged a costume together from whatever we could find in the dress-up box. What was I thinking with that Humpty Dumpty costume? Yikes! That's a blackmail worthy sort of photo! He looks a bit dazed, but the girls look happy!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7gE-VSHISsIetS5S9Dq1uR3WBZnqyq4fy39BYxIhZ3suob0Uq1DW8_OMdql6vbFiVew_11qS86Ep7yZfw9qz6tKukYIUfAcNlPc3vy9a7rwSwCQojSRqPBSgPcEzk6NBB9LiPpPbRKY8/s1600/IMG_7024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7gE-VSHISsIetS5S9Dq1uR3WBZnqyq4fy39BYxIhZ3suob0Uq1DW8_OMdql6vbFiVew_11qS86Ep7yZfw9qz6tKukYIUfAcNlPc3vy9a7rwSwCQojSRqPBSgPcEzk6NBB9LiPpPbRKY8/s640/IMG_7024.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And then there were three...Raggedy Ann, Humpty Dumpty, and Snow White. - Halloween 1997.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Our traditional Halloween night dinner was hot dogs and macaroni and cheese, because it was quick and there was almost no clean-up and everyone was just eager to get out the door. Inevitably, a small trick-or-treater or two would ring the bell while we were eating, and this would start the angst about missing all the fun. Then it would be into costumes and their turn to trick-or-treat.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdH_f6feuYMDBB2O1TV5vAMzZcAyvj0locmKdb45EQUfEBmlg27GvCqwBWQhsS9Gcr3VvaeVfkURM00kInxvJKWKEbWIaW1FG5I6GWjO7op7L4cjHPfE_8S5eb2hXniLrV9nsZ70wMEXI/s1600/IMG_7009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdH_f6feuYMDBB2O1TV5vAMzZcAyvj0locmKdb45EQUfEBmlg27GvCqwBWQhsS9Gcr3VvaeVfkURM00kInxvJKWKEbWIaW1FG5I6GWjO7op7L4cjHPfE_8S5eb2hXniLrV9nsZ70wMEXI/s640/IMG_7009.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rapunzel, a dog, and a cat. - Halloween 1999? or 2000?</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We would take the kids house to house on our block and on just two other neighboring streets. One of those streets, a cul-de-sac, would have a circle of homeowners in the middle of the street with their portable fire pit and bags of candy and would pass out candy to the kids there, while having their own little party with glasses of wine.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsUe42bWj1Kq4y9B8gEUHQlHlJXt1ZQ5FhP1DtsPGZY483kbtXwFuvv9Xt5YygPVKqa8pp4oyWwmHP1h7-hQJdbL1tzXAmoyOALNNxVUebm8kdt-6UxuFjX9LTZfTxqVcaWmg18RJprtI/s1600/IMG_7012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsUe42bWj1Kq4y9B8gEUHQlHlJXt1ZQ5FhP1DtsPGZY483kbtXwFuvv9Xt5YygPVKqa8pp4oyWwmHP1h7-hQJdbL1tzXAmoyOALNNxVUebm8kdt-6UxuFjX9LTZfTxqVcaWmg18RJprtI/s640/IMG_7012.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Princess Leia, a "fierce" knight, and Laura Ingalls. - Halloween 2002.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />I hope all of you have a fabulous Halloween with your families...full of cutely costumed kids, fun, and lots of candy!</span></div>
Kate at Wonderful Life Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01393342818341678583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6100831175089493446.post-13285652437580874852019-10-23T16:24:00.000-04:002019-10-23T16:24:04.427-04:00Tips for Planning A Harvest Party<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqSkw-MaMZiVR4a-bDh2cKd26OhNoFKfnqUH1eesJPBvUaNqzM_d2RdCb05nB5uDW5-Xjgz0voiFpcmH4hRVEMFGYidb2l73Qgwj3DLyTB0yF5qA9aUn7eIjtlLXF3kB7xzmddds7BSw0/s1600/IMG_0861.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqSkw-MaMZiVR4a-bDh2cKd26OhNoFKfnqUH1eesJPBvUaNqzM_d2RdCb05nB5uDW5-Xjgz0voiFpcmH4hRVEMFGYidb2l73Qgwj3DLyTB0yF5qA9aUn7eIjtlLXF3kB7xzmddds7BSw0/s640/IMG_0861.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We recently hosted a harvest party that I'd been dreaming about for years! The autumn gathering, beneath our oaks and maples on a splendid fall day in New England, brought together our family and some young families that are dear to us. We began with activities for the kids, moved on to a candlelit dinner of chili cooked over a roaring fire, and ended with a dessert buffet while an <i>almost </i>full moon rose over the treetops. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So many people have written to ask for my harvest party planning tips, that I thought I'd tell you how our fall party came together, so it will make things easier for anyone who wants to host a harvest party for their family and friends.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGDRRDkcVBpbPCaFHSLmoBr1DGZCqYiVeX8Hky6kB2VLpVXPrQr89xBr25wAW5FlRjCEA8Uti_0KOxDQn4awcS3AAKq0kt3DT808eebISfrpi6iVuREfSRHhfvq-pwoxkIpf1K4pMlchk/s1600/IMG_1083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGDRRDkcVBpbPCaFHSLmoBr1DGZCqYiVeX8Hky6kB2VLpVXPrQr89xBr25wAW5FlRjCEA8Uti_0KOxDQn4awcS3AAKq0kt3DT808eebISfrpi6iVuREfSRHhfvq-pwoxkIpf1K4pMlchk/s640/IMG_1083.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><u>DREAMING</u></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Start by dreaming up what your ideal harvest party will be. No rules. No limits. Just dream. Ours began as a dream of mine and it just sort of percolated in my head for several years. When you have so many ideas in your head that you feel you just can't keep track of them anymore, go to Pinterest and start a Harvest Party board (click <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/goodwifeh/-harvest-party-/">here</a> to see mine), and pin images that encapsulate all your harvest party plans. Again...no rules, no limits. Mine contains images for: food, what I might wear, music, games...but mostly the images revolve around the<i> feel</i> or the <i>vibe </i>I wanted it to have.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><u>EDITING TO A MOOD BOARD</u></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Now it's time to move those dreams into reality. My Pinterest Harvest Party board contains (at last count) 322 pins, but I could certainly <b>not </b>incorporate all of those ideas into a single party. To help edit all your pins/dreams into a reasonable/real party, it is <i>incredibly </i>helpful to create a party mood board. It's not <i>just </i>incredibly helpful, it's a game changer. It's a lovely, visual representation (and a goal reminder) of what you want to create. I created mine by copying and pasting images from my Pinterest board onto four, 8 1/2" x 11" Publisher documents which I labeled: Snacks, Menu, Kids' Activities, and Ambiance. The mood board contains all the ideas you are actually going to use for your harvest party.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPzLM3UBMIY_thBvD9_fo1TeT0DQHszBZ0jcZ_A5nr-I8cJ4ueTI1w3OOPbWZJOL0nSfq9m6eK6c62u_SwPULG9jVXO8VXDBb5Bu3ZiWkiWa0RHciZ7wv11BQVGYKvjJWsqVfB0_IzII8/s1600/IMG_1678.CR2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1066" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPzLM3UBMIY_thBvD9_fo1TeT0DQHszBZ0jcZ_A5nr-I8cJ4ueTI1w3OOPbWZJOL0nSfq9m6eK6c62u_SwPULG9jVXO8VXDBb5Bu3ZiWkiWa0RHciZ7wv11BQVGYKvjJWsqVfB0_IzII8/s640/IMG_1678.CR2" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><u>STRATEGIZING</u></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Your mood board is an excellent place to pencil in notes to yourself as you make your plans more concrete. I used it to break down the pictures into lists of everything planned and lists of everything we would need. Here are how I elaborated on my mood boards to create our harvest party:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>SNACKS</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u><br /></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>pretzels, popcorn, dried apricots, apples, mixed nuts, cider</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>sliced chicken sausage for roasting with assorted mustards</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(Here I made notations that I would need cups for cider,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">a crock for nuts, a nutcracker, etc.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>MENU</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u><br /></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><u><br /></u></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Chili </i>(Jenny Steffens Hobick's is the best! Click <a href="http://jennysteffens.blogspot.com/2013/10/our-pumpkin-carving-party-braised-beef.html">here</a> for recipe.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Note: 1 1/2 batches served 15 adults.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Chili Fixings - tortilla chips, Frittos, sour cream, green onions, shredded cheese, cilantro</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Mac-n-Cheese </i>(for the kids)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Cornbread</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Harvest Salad</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Cheeses</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Olives</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Wine and Hard Cider</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Plum Almond Crumble</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Apple Pie Bars </i>(click <a href="https://blog.wonderfullifefarm.com/search?q=apple+pie+bars">here</a> for recipe)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>S'mores</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq51pLE6LzmLXN5cEEGt8-dDwjSLv3-32tVO3Haxrkc-_-1pEYD_c5cLzIiUSXPIo7KVQ3sEghZzIkRku53A0W9oQ4KZa48Knldy7hz6Hph8bp39tJcnhi9i7Brip9YPohLNuhKjMyNk4/s1600/IMG_1119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq51pLE6LzmLXN5cEEGt8-dDwjSLv3-32tVO3Haxrkc-_-1pEYD_c5cLzIiUSXPIo7KVQ3sEghZzIkRku53A0W9oQ4KZa48Knldy7hz6Hph8bp39tJcnhi9i7Brip9YPohLNuhKjMyNk4/s640/IMG_1119.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>KIDS' ACTIVITIES</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u><br /></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>bobbing for apples</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(need: a large, galvanized tub, apples with stems to make it easier for small children)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>pumpkin carving</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(need: pumpkins, tables, spoons, knives)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>donut "catching"*</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(need: donuts, string, slender piece of wood)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>ring toss onto pumpkins</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(need pie pumpkins with tall, straight stems, rings)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">* Buy lots of donuts, because adults will want to play too!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHc5u2C0HoI4JznK-7hTe5LTGERTbt-DfZS6hq7JT8pmknTPBXMsINrPzrBAWwdrehW1zbeZoWbsExgRyTOe9lmqHO3oUING_PDJ9yO8UYPEvGNsiMWjSFSQaOCrrLuJh2v2iQkuNlQGM/s1600/IMG_0790.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHc5u2C0HoI4JznK-7hTe5LTGERTbt-DfZS6hq7JT8pmknTPBXMsINrPzrBAWwdrehW1zbeZoWbsExgRyTOe9lmqHO3oUING_PDJ9yO8UYPEvGNsiMWjSFSQaOCrrLuJh2v2iQkuNlQGM/s640/IMG_0790.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhjU6L3i6wkyYpq0i5bVopD1onyJw_6rM2VCuvDNBjViPui9h_cARN9cSUlY_Kseo-dzKLI2RGjpekpuCAnPqodKHt70I9OSpaKjq09Zkswl0mcSKgQZwBPmO9BxjbHuZiZ050bF1Zzuw/s1600/IMG_1052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhjU6L3i6wkyYpq0i5bVopD1onyJw_6rM2VCuvDNBjViPui9h_cARN9cSUlY_Kseo-dzKLI2RGjpekpuCAnPqodKHt70I9OSpaKjq09Zkswl0mcSKgQZwBPmO9BxjbHuZiZ050bF1Zzuw/s640/IMG_1052.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUtmjRSHGjIaDOi72wOFnG7nQrqGFd7ZvOpvGJ_pXp55wdENqdVyEHgZBQjdwEgC95XU46bAek2kLHgeNGRrd5gQfawQBDjg0TinF_A_mmb3oYQ58_UqLbpdpcbo1XYv9rEXhwfEiSIJc/s1600/IMG_1009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUtmjRSHGjIaDOi72wOFnG7nQrqGFd7ZvOpvGJ_pXp55wdENqdVyEHgZBQjdwEgC95XU46bAek2kLHgeNGRrd5gQfawQBDjg0TinF_A_mmb3oYQ58_UqLbpdpcbo1XYv9rEXhwfEiSIJc/s640/IMG_1009.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u>AMBIANCE</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u><br /></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Here I listed everything we'd need for practicality and atmosphere.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>pumpkins, cornstalks, tables/chairs, wool blankets, skewers, trash cans, firewood, napkins, string of lights, hay bales, flower/leaves, mini pumpkins for little ones to take home, flatware, lanterns, etc.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfAdFIG8aTzxkjXvsnaL9NC9jAS45RBki5PZv5oIDOahtBGCrMf9e3QuMLdVkGJieRGOkezs95CsBpUa_OkSUAa5nMqRCgPCLbgFmlLQ9FiOTdB7cJEEZbf8K_21k1o06swNTgxkJK94s/s1600/IMG_1087.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfAdFIG8aTzxkjXvsnaL9NC9jAS45RBki5PZv5oIDOahtBGCrMf9e3QuMLdVkGJieRGOkezs95CsBpUa_OkSUAa5nMqRCgPCLbgFmlLQ9FiOTdB7cJEEZbf8K_21k1o06swNTgxkJK94s/s640/IMG_1087.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><u>DOING</u></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Issue your invitations and you've got the ball rolling! We kept invites simple with just a Facebook message group invite.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Yes, it's a fair amount of work to host a harvest party. But it creates such happy memories for everyone, that it's <i>completely </i>worth all the effort. I would say that it took me about four days of concerted effort to pull everything together -- shop, make food, etc. And it took three of us about four hours to set up the day of the party. Enlisting help of willing family and friends would be a great idea! In addition to the smiles on everyone's faces, the laughter of the kids, and the general air of relaxed happiness that hung over the party, I will long remember it as one of the funnest parties we've had in ages!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Happy Harvest Party planning!</span></div>
Kate at Wonderful Life Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01393342818341678583noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6100831175089493446.post-30882541265879210492019-09-23T14:19:00.000-04:002019-09-23T14:19:25.504-04:00Abundant Autumn Living<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Autumn in New England can be a whirlwind of places to go and things to do before the last, gloriously colored leaf falls to the earth. Taking the time to savor all the simple autumn joys and make those lasting fall memories is a passion near and dear to my heart. Even though hosting a large, autumn gathering...a harvest party...is on our family's fall bucket list, we don't want to forget to embrace the simple things. We want to arrive at the end of fall feeling that we enjoyed an abundant autumn because in and amongst the big dates on the calendar were entwined all its simple joys. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Here is a short list of simple fall joys. Which ones will you be embracing this autumn?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>- gather acorns</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>- all the fall baking </i>(Here are links to three of our favorites: <a href="https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/pecan-shortbread-recipe0-1937970">Ina Garten's Pecan Shortbread Cookies</a>, <a href="https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/chocolate-chip-pumpkin-pancakes-with-whipped-maple-butter/">Half Baked Harvest's Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Pancakes with Whipped Maple Butter</a>, and <a href="https://iowagirleats.com/2014/10/15/caramelized-sweet-potato-kale-fried-wild-rice/">Iowa Girl Eats' Caramelized Sweet Potato and Kale Fried Wild Rice</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>- eat cider donuts</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>- visit a pumpkin patch</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>- take the scenic routes</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMN7v2J6R0IQdyBmLqQ0Tj7T9LO9ux4bqC6ltXJTL4uGOMFLJ_YTef-txnprhNnq_ghijjUfrD9PrOF8nSMxzRbTw6E1GejjnAtxJNZ63bh4I611ZHQ5F66ZqbXLQoudSqkTtBrQUgmQ/s1600/IMG_road-less-traveled-new-england-autumn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMN7v2J6R0IQdyBmLqQ0Tj7T9LO9ux4bqC6ltXJTL4uGOMFLJ_YTef-txnprhNnq_ghijjUfrD9PrOF8nSMxzRbTw6E1GejjnAtxJNZ63bh4I611ZHQ5F66ZqbXLQoudSqkTtBrQUgmQ/s640/IMG_road-less-traveled-new-england-autumn.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>- gather leaves</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJbHO_oolM4QoqpPGdMs1_MnthtlWs3ZWWtLyZcA6jmUgyZHJGXOKkvfqddVxIo0ciJ9COzGxQdR6QRm_awoK0y1EIk72L8D0122BapF0cnQY1fKIyw4vvGWp4hTT3MFEooQSGVihta0w/s1600/IMG_new-england-leaf-peeping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJbHO_oolM4QoqpPGdMs1_MnthtlWs3ZWWtLyZcA6jmUgyZHJGXOKkvfqddVxIo0ciJ9COzGxQdR6QRm_awoK0y1EIk72L8D0122BapF0cnQY1fKIyw4vvGWp4hTT3MFEooQSGVihta0w/s640/IMG_new-england-leaf-peeping.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>- drink hot cider, hot tea, and hot chocolate</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>- go apple picking</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2sbsaL4prsLn0dHCRi6o2ejO95oSflTjXekbFSec70E89L220vhei5_MTxj4i2370s62q9MsjLPLLqOYm0lLnlBglhey5pYPCHoe0CWkPaA8Qu71RQ-5v7tZyjP0H9SjjRBXt81Iesh8/s1600/IMG_apple-picking-new-england-autumn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2sbsaL4prsLn0dHCRi6o2ejO95oSflTjXekbFSec70E89L220vhei5_MTxj4i2370s62q9MsjLPLLqOYm0lLnlBglhey5pYPCHoe0CWkPaA8Qu71RQ-5v7tZyjP0H9SjjRBXt81Iesh8/s640/IMG_apple-picking-new-england-autumn.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>-warm by a bonfire</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>-carve jack-o-lanterns with family and friends</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Which other simple joys are on your list? Pull up a chair and join the conversation by leaving a comment! I love to be inspired by your thoughts!</span>Kate at Wonderful Life Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01393342818341678583noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6100831175089493446.post-76076477860719964742019-09-09T13:51:00.001-04:002019-09-09T13:51:48.485-04:00Travel Destinations: the New or the Familiar?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Ba_QGswLTzApCk2MHErXdJXJ-tJlkPILhnKj0WSYJgzkBE_Br7z05A6ReI24sweC_xy6Gv81iyz7JdIoiEyNOiSeFpMnWWbt_8_6GJjdnLJFCJk2CSxopTOQ5Ll2zyr2ggOsY-0W9NA/s1600/IMG_Natucket-island-travel-destination-Brant-Point-lighthouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Ba_QGswLTzApCk2MHErXdJXJ-tJlkPILhnKj0WSYJgzkBE_Br7z05A6ReI24sweC_xy6Gv81iyz7JdIoiEyNOiSeFpMnWWbt_8_6GJjdnLJFCJk2CSxopTOQ5Ll2zyr2ggOsY-0W9NA/s640/IMG_Natucket-island-travel-destination-Brant-Point-lighthouse.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Nantucket has been a vacation destination for our family for 21 years. Once, for our tenth anniversary, we lingered for a week in a bed-and-breakfast inn. We've gone to Nantucket for day trips, for overnights, and for longer stays. Julia and I just returned from three days there. From rounding the iconic Brant Point lighthouse to discovering new bakeries or new-to-us beaches, Nantucket never disappoints! There's something comforting...or rather wonderfully <i>comfortable</i>...about returning to one vacation destination over and over again. And I'm wondering how you feel about that? Do you prefer to always explore new travel destinations, or is your heart smitten with a traditional family vacation spot?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiARPG9boOVJ35I-NZFJZ5wdtL63V__o8Qjf2NnkqEqxTfZGs37DIa9lyQbIqO1D_TaPtdMOV4L51QEU5FVFqrg68ow5lprbySnm3BHQQ4ZhlqnNf7o5XQY9eH26scdZH9S9QIX38i0iqQ/s1600/IMG_Nantucket-Island-view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiARPG9boOVJ35I-NZFJZ5wdtL63V__o8Qjf2NnkqEqxTfZGs37DIa9lyQbIqO1D_TaPtdMOV4L51QEU5FVFqrg68ow5lprbySnm3BHQQ4ZhlqnNf7o5XQY9eH26scdZH9S9QIX38i0iqQ/s640/IMG_Nantucket-Island-view.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My immediate answer would be that I like exploring the new, seeing places I've always wanted to see, and making the unknown known and familiar to me. But Nantucket has me rethinking that. There is an endearing quality to renewing your acquaintance with a distant "friend", getting to know them better, and to part with a deepened love.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But even the familiar family vacation spot is enhanced and enlivened by new discoveries. So while I enjoyed my traditional dawn walks on the island, exploring its quiet streets and slumbering houses with my camera for a couple of hours before everything awakens, I also craved the thrill of new discoveries.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Bicycling to Steps Beach, a hidden gem accessed at the end of a quiet, residential street via a footpath and a staircase, was one such discovery on this trip to Nantucket. When we reached the beach, we almost felt like trespassers who had tread upon land too marvelous to be imagined...the roaring waves on one side, the windswept sand dune with waving beach grass within touch of our fingertips to the other, a generous sprinkling of seashells at our feet, and an ever changing cloudscape overhead. All those trips to the island and we never knew about this glorious site! I fell in love with Nantucket all over again!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">How about you? I'd love to hear how you prefer to vacation! Please leave a comment to join the conversation. Do you seek the new or embrace the favorite?</span>Kate at Wonderful Life Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01393342818341678583noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6100831175089493446.post-34384519968850347882019-09-03T19:16:00.003-04:002019-09-03T19:16:32.913-04:00Breakfast Picnic<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">A breakfast picnic is a novel idea. But a mountaintop breakfast picnic with a view that stretches for miles is even more enticing. Recently, I planned one for Dave and I, just the two of us, on the summit of <a href="https://www.nhstateparks.org/visit/state-parks/miller-state-park">Miller State Park</a>, the oldest state park in New Hampshire and one whose summit can be reached via an auto road. I experimented with an easy frittata recipe, and we packed it (warm from the oven) and other tasty breakfast foods along to the top of the mountain. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We took the narrow, winding road to the summit, where we parked the car and walked a very short distance (maybe .10-mile) down a shaded trail to an overlook with a picnic table and the most majestic view of the tree-carpeted countryside and Boston's skyscrapers at the furthest point on the horizon. The sun was warm, but the morning, mountain air was fresh and invigorating, and we were a bit thrilled to have the whole mountaintop area mostly to ourselves for our whole picnic.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In order to keep planning and packing for our breakfast picnic simple, I stuck with my plan (see previous post <a href="https://blog.wonderfullifefarm.com/2019/08/mountaintop-picnic.html">here</a>) of a menu that was: foraged from the refrigerator, bought at a bakery, and one item that took a little effort.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>strawberries and raspberries</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>assorted baked goods from a local bakery</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Easy Breakfast Frittata</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>mimosas</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Although I make quiche frequently, I had actually never made a frittata. It's an Italian egg dish which is really a crustless quiche. Eliminating the crust saves so much time and effort. This one, made in an 8-in. cast iron skillet, will serve 2-4 people and is the ideal, transportable, picnic breakfast food.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>6 eggs</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>1/2 c. heavy whipping cream</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>pepper</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>1 1/2 c. chopped vegetables (use a mix of anything you'd like: peppers, onions, mushrooms, leeks, asparagus, etc.)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>1 T. butter</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>1 c. shredded cheese (any type you like: cheddar, Monterey Jack, pepper Jack, Gouda, Swiss, etc.)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Preheat oven to 400°F.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Melt butter in an 8-in. cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add vegetables and saute a few minutes until softened. Sprinkle flour over vegetables and stir for one minute to blend.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>While vegetables are sauteing, in a medium-sized bowl, whisk together: eggs, whipping cream, salt, and pepper. Add shredded cheese and whisk to incorporate. Pour eggs over finished vegetables, give a very brief stir to mix the vegetables into the egg, and cook until just the edges begin to firm.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Remove skillet from stove top and transfer to oven. Bake for 15 minutes, or until center is almost set. It will continue to cook after it's removed from the oven due to the lingering heat in the cast iron skillet.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><i>Transport hot skillet in a towel-lined picnic basket.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><i>Serves 2-4.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">After we had polished off half the frittata and more of the baked treats than we should have, we packed our picnic back up and returned everything to the car. Then we turned our attention to the fire tower. It is open to the public to climb, and the park ranger at the entrance had given us a map of the view. I'm always a bit thrilled with a summit map, because they're round, since you're standing at the top and everything you see is 360° around you. With it as our guide, we were able to identify several nearby peaks, as well as Mount Washington to the north, the mountains in Vermont, and Boston to the southeast.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFh6IRB0EXYQdXzpJ_qcUD4d-6dc7XXejn1P3k3cjFOAg0JDkuSWTiurHhG0VQVhKBM-XDoT4HXIPzraIv7QiBj1ophGpj8tNF_W67Aw0BvREi-PyLKuw08dqeTTRiRMSflONqlvKu7gQ/s1600/IMG_mountaintop-fire-tower-new-hampshire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFh6IRB0EXYQdXzpJ_qcUD4d-6dc7XXejn1P3k3cjFOAg0JDkuSWTiurHhG0VQVhKBM-XDoT4HXIPzraIv7QiBj1ophGpj8tNF_W67Aw0BvREi-PyLKuw08dqeTTRiRMSflONqlvKu7gQ/s640/IMG_mountaintop-fire-tower-new-hampshire.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">Our breakfast picnic on the mountaintop was a refreshing break from our normal routines, and it was a good reminder to go on dates more often. We decided while we were there that we definitely need to bring friends and visiting house guests back here. I imagine the view in the autumn will be enchanting!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><b>Useful Links and Info:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.nhstateparks.org/visit/state-parks/miller-state-park">Miller State Park</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"> - entrance fee per person</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"> - hiking trails</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"> - bathrooms at the summit</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"> - fire tower could be easily climbed by people of most ages, but stairs are steep and treads are narro</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">w</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">- tablecloth and napkins</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">- plates and glassware</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">- silverware, knife, and a pie server (for the frittata)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">- bug spray</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">- sunscreen </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">- binoculars</span></div>
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Kate at Wonderful Life Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01393342818341678583noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6100831175089493446.post-74313067324900619782019-08-12T18:05:00.000-04:002019-08-12T18:08:45.870-04:00Mountaintop Picnic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">My short summer bucket list included "picnic on mountaintops". Picnics are always fun, but if you can picnic with a view, they become a mini-vacation -- a sort of removing oneself from the world for a bit -- but with tasty food! One lazy, Sunday afternoon a couple of weeks ago, we packed a picnic and headed to our mountaintop destination, nearly 3,000-ft. above sea level, to the summit of Mount Sunapee, New Hampshire. I had been to the top before (click <a href="https://blog.wonderfullifefarm.com/search?q=league+of+new+hampshire">here</a>) and was excited to show Dave and Julia this unique destination where we could picnic with a view.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Mount Sunapee, which is indeed a mountain, is also a <a href="https://www.mountsunapee.com/">ski resort</a> which offers summer lift rides to the top. To be perfectly honest, heights and chair lifts are <b>not </b>my thing, but I knew the view from the top was worth it. And after some pleading to <i>please </i>lower the safety bar and some admonishments to <u>not</u> rock the thing, I settled in and enjoyed the ride. We could feel the temperature getting cooler as we ascended and the fresh mountain breezes rushed refreshingly over us. Negotiating the on and off of a chair lift with a large picnic basket and a smallish (but heavy) cooler was not as difficult as expected, and before we knew it we were on the top of the mountain with the world before us. What a view!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">For once, I think I finally hit on the ideal sort of picnic fare -- simple, delicious, and not too much work. This meant that most of it was purchased from the market, some was foraged from our refrigerator, and an effort was made for dessert.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">From the market: <i>rotisserie chicken (sliced), salami, crackers, Brie, Fontina, crusty bread, <u>really</u> good butter, strawberries, plums, French soda.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">From our refrigerator: <i>homemade dill pickles (click <a href="https://blog.wonderfullifefarm.com/2016/08/super-easy-dill-refrigerator-pickles.html">here</a>), leftover tomato-mozzarella salad.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Dessert: <i>chocolate ganache tarts</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We sat there, munching away, having almost the entire mountaintop to ourselves. Julia, at one point, asked, "Is this when bears smell our food and come eat us?" Happy to report that didn't happen! We brought binoculars and playing cards, but amusements paled compared to the simple enjoyment of the view. Occasionally, another group of people would wander close for a good view of the lakes and forests beyond. We'd chat for a few moments. I'd offer them some food. They'd decline and move on. They didn't know what they were missing! The view was great, but the view + picnic was sublime!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">By far, my favorite memory of our mountaintop picnic was the several times Dave threw his arms wide to the breeze, smiled, shook his head, and said, "Ahhh...I LOVE this!" I think another trip here in the autumn just might be a good idea!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">View on the way down.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Useful Links:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.mountsunapee.com/" style="font-weight: bold;">Mount Sunapee </a> - for year-round fun!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/AmeriHome-BT07536-Amerihome-Picnic-Cooler/dp/B005EWVGG6/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=red+metal+cooler&qid=1565646948&s=gateway&sr=8-2">Metal Cooler</a> </b>- This is our absolute favorite cooler! It will pack food for four people tightly, or for two with ample room. All the food you see here that needed to be refrigerated was packed in it (plus room for ice). I'm also quite fond of giving it as a wedding gift!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.worldmarket.com/product/artisanal+cherry+and+lemon+french+soda.do"><b>Artisanal Cherry & Lemon French Soda</b> </a>- Yum!</span><br />
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Kate at Wonderful Life Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01393342818341678583noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6100831175089493446.post-31582765451737726262019-08-05T22:10:00.001-04:002019-08-05T22:10:50.270-04:00Grandkids' Camp Ideas: A Useful Guide<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Hosting all the grandkids for "camp" at grandma and grandpa's house is a bond-building, family strengthening, and fun-filled (albeit, exhausting) endeavor that will create some awesome summer memories for <i>everyone</i>! It's a great opportunity to harken back to the pre-digital age and fill the grandkids' days with the sort of active, creative, and communal fun we had as kids. But how should you plan "camp" so that it will strike that balance between <i>lazy summer days</i> and <i>busy enough to be fun and memorable</i>? Recently, we hosted all four of our grandkids, ages 4, 5, 6, and 8, for five days of Grandkids' Camp and here are some ideas that should be helpful, if you're thinking of planning a camp of your own.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. <b>Have a mental game plan. </b>Before they arrive, have a mental (or written) list of a handful of activities and/or excursions to do each day of camp. These are your ideas that will generate the most excitement among the grandkids. For us, these were: a nature program with live animals, a musical production of "Peter Pan", storytime at the library, a movie, and going out for ice cream. If your grandkids are older, they might enjoy: a day at the beach, a hike, a visit to a museum, canoeing, etc. Check your local library, recreation department, and children's theaters for their scheduled programs and see if any of those events will be happening during your "camp" dates.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. <b>Post the plan. </b>Every day, after breakfast, I would write out "Today's Plan" and hang it up for everyone to see. The grandkids gathered round with great excitement for this each day...eager to know what fun the day would hold! And while having a detailed plan may seem like overkill, <i>it really does help</i>! It keeps anyone from getting bored, because activities change about every 30-60 minutes. And it does seem to accelerate the day for the grandparents, which is helpful when you're no longer used to the daily demands of little ones.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And don't forget to assign chores and switch them up daily. Assigning chores is <u>essential</u> in my book, because nobody needs a free ride, even at Grandpa and Grandma's house, and idle hands get into trouble, and we don't want discipline issues, because this is Grandkids' Camp and it ought to be FUN! So, assign those chores! It's good for them! "Dog feeder" was the coveted chore at our Grandkids' Camp. With older kids, some ideas might be: KP duty, lawn mowing, food prep, some odd jobs around the house you can work on together, etc.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. <b>Balance is everything. </b>Not everything you plan to do will appeal equally to all kids or to the full age range of grandkids, so try to strike a balance of activities. A full-day of outdoors and competitive games may take all the fun out of Grandkids' Camp for the snuggly introvert, just as a day of book reading and art may make some others quite antsy. When thinking up ideas, I tried to have a nice blend of indoors and outdoors, quiet and loud, individual and all-together. And everyone had a 30-minutes quiet time in the afternoon...mostly because I needed it, and you will too!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>For indoors, we:</b> played games, worked puzzles, watched a DVD, had art time, had free play time, did chores, read, etc.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>For outdoors, we:</b> walked the dog, colored with chalk, explored the garden, ran through the sprinklers, and more.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4. <b>Keep food simple. </b>Think like a summer-loving kid when meal planning. Think of those great, summer food memories of your childhood...and plan to eat your way through those memories: blueberries, watermelon, hot dogs, pizza, popsicles, chicken fingers, applesauce, and ice cream.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">5. <b>Bedtime routines. </b>It's helpful to know their bed time hour and their bedtime routine (baths, books, drinks, lights off, door open or closed) before they arrive. That being said, we could <u>never</u> get them to bed on time. But it's Grandkids' Camp, so staying up past bedtime seems like part of the fun, right? We have found that being firm on <u>staying</u> in bed is important, especially on the first night, because it will set the stage for the rest of the nights. And don't forget that a generous dose of outdoor time each day helps to tire everyone out for a good night's sleep.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">By the end of "Grandkids' Camp" at Grandma and Grandpa's house, they should have that good sort of tired -- that "I've run in the sprinklers and chased the sun and eaten watermelon and climbed trees and following the dog all day" sort of tired. And you'll be tired too. You'll have that "I've chased kids for days and I'm not as young as I used to be and their smiles and hugs make my heart melt and I think this was important for us all" sort of tired. And it was.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Useful links:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We loved playing <b>Dog Bingo</b>, which was perfect for kids in the 4 to 8 age range and taught me several dog breeds too! Available<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dog-Bingo-Polly-Horner/dp/1856699676"> here</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The best puzzles EVER for bringing the whole family, of diverse ages, together are Family Hour puzzles, which include pieces in three different sizes: small, medium, and large. The eight-year old could work the smallest pieces, the five-year old worked the medium, and the four-year old worked the largest. Zoom in on the puzzle photo above to see it all coming together in one puzzle. Link <a href="https://www.amazon.com/MasterPieces-Family-Jigsaw-Puzzle-400-Piece/dp/B07CPPFK1J">here</a> to the one we worked.</span></div>
Kate at Wonderful Life Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01393342818341678583noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6100831175089493446.post-29295679135153622162019-07-25T17:13:00.003-04:002019-07-25T17:13:48.174-04:00Summer Lake Fun with the Family<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Some of summer's best memories are made on a lake. Canoeing, swimming, paddleboarding, kayaking, and rope swinging into the waters of a lake are the sort of fun-filled summer days remembered for a lifetime with a smile on one's face! Recently, while my California family was vacationing with us, we visited Pawtuckaway Lake, NH located in <a href="https://www.nhstateparks.org/visit/state-parks/pawtuckaway-state-park">Pawtuckaway State Park</a>. Nestled in acres of pine trees, the lake provides a day's worth of summer fun and adventure opportunities for the young and the young at heart. We packed along lunches and planned to make a day of it.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL1wA5VnXLQzjloArCVcwPTPLIuWqZ_-7RTQ8UclsbtwWkluEmesQf_sZQNwaPlk8mEpt6BE3-yEkuBlGdMJOoNoI87RLuzYqdcnSJsYtcsduTHASSdrJ9TFn9aqOCOAGhPePI8DfJkZM/s1600/lake-canoe-new-hampshire.CR2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL1wA5VnXLQzjloArCVcwPTPLIuWqZ_-7RTQ8UclsbtwWkluEmesQf_sZQNwaPlk8mEpt6BE3-yEkuBlGdMJOoNoI87RLuzYqdcnSJsYtcsduTHASSdrJ9TFn9aqOCOAGhPePI8DfJkZM/s640/lake-canoe-new-hampshire.CR2" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There's a rental office lakeside where we rented one canoe and two paddleboards for a half day. (Julia also brought her own paddleboard.) Dave and I paddled the canoe, loaded with camera gear, towels, and our lunch, hoping we didn't tip over and spill our precious cargo. Everyone else divided themselves among the paddleboards. We pushed off from the docks and headed for one of our favorite small islands.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It's a favorite, because it has that large rock protruding from the right side. Easily climbed from the island side, it provides a great place from which to jump into the lake. We slipped our canoes and paddleboards up to the shore and tied them to the tree roots that lace themselves around the earthen edges of the island. Scrambling up the rock, everyone took turns jumping into the "sweet spot" below -- just beyond the rocks. I thought the water would be chilly, but we were all surprised to find it amazingly warm -- cold enough to be refreshing, but warm enough that you wanted to spend the day in it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The cousins all swam to some nearby rocks and took turns jumping, diving, and (cover my eyes) flipping into the lake. From our little island, I watched as each one went individually. But it was the trio of them jumping together that really made me smile. They're going to cherish these moments forever! Eventually, they swam back to the island and we all nibbled on some wild blueberries before paddling away for more lake fun on another island.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This island is <i>the best </i>for summer lake fun, because it has rope swings! Ahh...this was truly the day all my childhood summer dreams came true!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Dave and I stayed in the canoe, with him intermittently paddling to keep the canoe in position, and me taking photos. Everyone took their turns climbing the rungs nailed to the tree, swinging wildly out, and splashing into the cool lake water. Every swing was unique -- some high, some low, some twisting, some shrieking -- but all equally delightful to watch!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYPb35celqDrPH_rfxVxVxclKylcV2ZgkhxuIuTgxCXyvoLcz3I9kjZDoq86pglAChP0TBTdK517auUAryOQn6GA7VhtYwtpZmGiocu3_dlsODOybM0FJcnCgs2RwU9IuJI3v2YiE8Nfg/s1600/rope-swing-splash-lake.CR2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYPb35celqDrPH_rfxVxVxclKylcV2ZgkhxuIuTgxCXyvoLcz3I9kjZDoq86pglAChP0TBTdK517auUAryOQn6GA7VhtYwtpZmGiocu3_dlsODOybM0FJcnCgs2RwU9IuJI3v2YiE8Nfg/s640/rope-swing-splash-lake.CR2" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">All of us having worked up an appetite, we tied up the canoe near the paddleboards, and pulled out our picnic lunch. Some people ate perched on rocks on the island. But the water felt so refreshing, I just stood in it, next to the canoe, and passed out sandwiches and handfuls of blueberries, and ate my own lunch.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhaVPyS90cpF6I8XOkgo4A7uJ3KtOYbIJLYWZwlRcAIPV8QcsDziqLgEi61y-9gcAa_qC7pmWwd5Ser-nMvg5_GYwPfuZ27ZRRuxRMH4siU3QjrtSvYJhxWZALDnC7b37E4yD-XCiKHMU/s1600/lake-memories-canoe-summer.CR2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhaVPyS90cpF6I8XOkgo4A7uJ3KtOYbIJLYWZwlRcAIPV8QcsDziqLgEi61y-9gcAa_qC7pmWwd5Ser-nMvg5_GYwPfuZ27ZRRuxRMH4siU3QjrtSvYJhxWZALDnC7b37E4yD-XCiKHMU/s640/lake-memories-canoe-summer.CR2" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Before we left, we all had to swing on the rope swing. This time, Dave and I went too! Being, quite naturally, a big chicken, I opted to swing out from a rock protruding out of the water. All the fun and none of the terror of jumping from that height was just perfect! So much fun! But Dave braved the rungs up the tree and made a big splash! Then I had to swing again. And everyone else went a couple times before we headed back to the docks to turn in our rentals. Another great day of family lake fun for the books. Can't wait to do it again!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLFgKflFNk7mCYYfFtX1fJF6bNCxyorHmpEpUkkOGu-MQ9_y76udpW-hbCGX1EU0qf-fETzQs_6h-DKayPhXLylzYlcoFJAOMu6wQr6Jcaqf9TNoy69zYlhj2WWUnGSDrg3Z-fqzyK54w/s1600/summer-memories-rope-swing-lake.CR2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLFgKflFNk7mCYYfFtX1fJF6bNCxyorHmpEpUkkOGu-MQ9_y76udpW-hbCGX1EU0qf-fETzQs_6h-DKayPhXLylzYlcoFJAOMu6wQr6Jcaqf9TNoy69zYlhj2WWUnGSDrg3Z-fqzyK54w/s640/summer-memories-rope-swing-lake.CR2" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Links and ideas:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>location:</b> <a href="https://www.nhstateparks.org/visit/state-parks/pawtuckaway-state-park">Pawtuckaway State Park</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>pack:</b> <i>sunscreen, hats, towels, waterproof phone cases that float, water bottles</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>our lunch:</b> <i>ham and Fontina sandwiches on ciabatta rolls, Cape Cod chips, blueberries and brownies</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>see more: </b><i>check out the mini-film I made of this trip (and our swim in the Quechee Gorge) on my Instagram feed (click <a href="https://www.instagram.com/wonderfullifefarm/">here</a>).</i></span></div>
Kate at Wonderful Life Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01393342818341678583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6100831175089493446.post-27167426725763383772019-07-02T19:16:00.001-04:002019-07-02T19:16:07.364-04:004th of July Party Essentials<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Having a solid collection of summer party essentials makes backyard entertaining easy, whether it's a 4th of July party or any summer gathering. Through the years, I've intentionally worked to build a stockpile of really useful items for entertaining. It would've been helpful, early on in our marriage, if I'd seen a trustworthy list, compiled by experienced party planners, to use as a sort of "wish list-shopping list" from which to build a good collection. We'll be pulling out some versatile pieces from our collection for a 4th of July party this week. We frequently host summer parties and backyard cookouts, so here's a list of our favorite summer party essentials:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Serving Pieces - </i>ironstone platters and bowls, pitchers, galvanized tub for icing drinks, beverage dispensers, a variety of serving spoons</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Cooking Tools - </i>grill, smoker, hot dog/s'more roasting sticks, cast iron skillets</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Decor Items - </i>bunting, collection of American flags (old, new, all different sizes), nautical flags, strings of Edison lights, candle holders and votives</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Backyard Games - </i>croquet, giant Jenga, jumbo Yahtzee, horseshoes, badminton, balls, frisbees, bocce</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Misc. - </i>Adirondack and other chairs, wooden barrels for trash, serving tables, folding tables, tablecloths, citronella candles, tiki torches</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>And don't forget the sparklers!</i></span></div>
Kate at Wonderful Life Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01393342818341678583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6100831175089493446.post-50097019789602495362019-06-25T23:06:00.000-04:002019-06-25T23:06:34.005-04:00Update on Changes to Wonderful Life Farm<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Starting a new business is a tremendous amount of work. But reinventing one might be even more work! As many of you know, I'm planning BIG changes for Wonderful Life Farm coming in spring of 2020. I thought it was time that I give you a bit of an update on what's been developing. I've spent the first few months of the year figuring out my "why" and doing all the in-my-head stuff...lots of silent days processing all my thoughts and making sure this was a good direction for me, my business, and our family. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And just when I thought I'd be completely overwhelmed with the enormity of the task before me, I was chosen to be interviewed in a mentoring episode of <a href="https://www.josephinebrooks.co.uk/">Josephine Brooks</a>' podcast, <a href="https://www.josephinebrooks.co.uk/podcast">"On the Make"</a>. Josephine is a productivity mentor for side-hustlers, and I'm completely hooked on her podcasts! And did I ever need her help! She helped me sort through all the tasks, develop areas of focus, and figure out how to break the whole job into manageable chunks. If you'd like to listen to the episode, click <a href="https://www.josephinebrooks.co.uk/podcast/long-term-planning-and-pivoting-your-business">here</a>. I will warn you that the day I was interviewed was day three of the cold that turned into pneumonia, and I sound dreadful (but only half as bad as I felt!). I'm grateful that you can't hear me sipping hot tea</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">in the background</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> to keep my voice alive. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit<a href="https://www.josephinebrooks.co.uk/podcast/long-term-planning-and-pivoting-your-business"> here</a>.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.josephinebrooks.co.uk/">Josephine</a> has a great system that utilizes one of her <a href="https://www.josephinebrooks.co.uk/shop/12-week-planner">12-week wall planners</a>. On it, you focus on three areas to grow your business over a span of three months. Then you break each area into tasks divided up and spread out over those months. After talking with her, I spread the planner out on the kitchen table with my list of tasks and set to work filling it in. It now hangs on the bulletin board in my sewing room, where I am gleefully crossing things off as the weeks go by! Currently, my three focus areas are: 1.) travel and sewing for my current Etsy shop, 2.) branding and blog redesign, and 3.) all the learning things (content planning, SEO, Lightroom, and on and on.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I've also spent an enormous amount of time and thought on my branding. What is branding? According to <a href="https://www.thebrand-stylist.com/">Fiona Humberstone, the Brand Stylist</a>, "Branding is everything people expect, experience, and remember about your business." It involves everything from the colors you use, to the fonts you choose, to packaging, to how your website looks (big changes coming to this one!), to your photographs, and more. Using Fiona's two books, <u><a href="https://www.amazon.com/How-Style-Your-Brand-Distinctive/dp/0956454534/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=how+to+style+your+brand&qid=1561516227&s=gateway&sr=8-1">How to Style Your Brand</a></u> and <u><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Brand-Brilliance-Elevate-Enchant-Audience/dp/0956454542/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=brand+brilliance&qid=1561516244&s=gateway&sr=8-1">Brand Brilliance</a></u>, as my guides, I've been completely immersed in building the identity for my new brand. And, I have to say, I found it to be one of the most creatively challenging endeavors I've tackled in years. It made me want to pull my hair out and made me euphorically happy...sometimes all in one day! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">When I was satisfied with my work on the branding, I created a branding guide and a mood board. I am absolutely thrilled with my mood board and how it perfectly expresses my brand! And the branding guide is now in the hands of the talented graphic designer I've hired to design a logo!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">That's a little sneak peek at what's been happening behind the scenes here at Wonderful Life Farm. Here are some useful links, if you are creating or recreating your own business:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- to read more about my journey, click <a href="https://blog.wonderfullifefarm.com/2019/03/changing-directions.html">here</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- <a href="https://www.josephinebrooks.co.uk/">Josephine Brooks, productivity mentor to side-hustlers.</a></span></div>
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- <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.josephinebrooks.co.uk/shop/12-week-planner">Josephine Brooks' 12-week wall planner</a></span></div>
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- <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.josephinebrooks.co.uk/podcast">Josephine Brooks' podcast, "On the Make"</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- <a href="https://www.thebrand-stylist.com/">Fiona Humberstone, The Brand Stylist</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- <a href="https://www.amazon.com/How-Style-Your-Brand-Distinctive/dp/0956454534/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=how+to+style+your+brand&qid=1561516227&s=gateway&sr=8-1">How to Style Your Brand by Fiona Humberstone</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Brand-Brilliance-Elevate-Enchant-Audience/dp/0956454542/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=brand+brilliance&qid=1561516244&s=gateway&sr=8-1">Brand Brilliance by Fiona Humberstone</a></span></div>
Kate at Wonderful Life Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01393342818341678583noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6100831175089493446.post-77488044288519518392019-06-08T23:57:00.001-04:002019-06-08T23:57:26.807-04:00Exploring the Pacific Northwest in the Springtime - Part II<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Squishy sand, stunning flowers, and towering mountains were all part of the second half of our springtime trip to the PNW, but our son was not. Military duty called and he jetted out for some training, leaving our little foursome to explore on our own for the second half of our trip.</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The first day dawned rainy, as is to be expected in this region, so it was raincoats all around and off into the wet world we went. We made a short foray to Lummi Island, and upon returning we headed to the shore on the mainland. Descending a steep flight of steps, we emerged onto the rocky beach at low tide. The rain had stopped and everything was damp and smelled of the sea. The decaying remnants of a dock were well-exposed now, and the sea could barely be glimpsed on the horizon, with nothing but squishy mud in between us and it. While Dave and I wobbled over the slippery rocks on the shore and unearthed small crabs, the girls ventured far out onto the normally water-hidden land. Julia says it was one of her favorite moments of the trip and described it as "like another planet" out there. A small waterfall burbled down to the shore and ran across the rocks and out into the sea. We all loved our time casually spent at this piece of shoreline, as it seemed a truly PNW experience.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Another day. Another raincoat (just in case). Another ferry. Canada, here we come! While there are many options for travelling by ferry to Vancouver Island, the scheduling gets tricky. We found it best to take the early morning ferry out of Anacortes, WA and then leave Vancouver Island from Sidney with a Canadian ferry to Vancouver on the mainland and then drive back to the U.S. (Just a bit of a PNW travel tip, if you're trying to figure this out too.) This ferry ride was just as beautiful, with a bonus of being of longer duration than the ferry on our first day. There were puzzles and dogs and snacks (and a nap for me). Along the route, we passed Spieden Island, a once private game preserve where exotic species still lives. Our captain called the deer that live there "spiedalopes", but that's unverified information. (Read more <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spieden_Island">here</a>.) We then docked on Vancouver Island, on a bright and sunny day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Our destination was the stunning Butchart Gardens, acres of cultivated gardens in all their springtime splendor. We wandered the paths for hours admiring the flowers and the work, dedication, and vision involved in creating such beauty for people to enjoy for generations. The Sunken Garden is built in what was once a rocky quarry, and a placard told of how Mrs. Butchart would be lowered in a sling to fit plantings into the crevices of the rocks walls. We passed through the Rose Garden (not yet blooming in mid-April) and the serenity of the Japanese Garden before coming to my favorite, the Italian Garden. I definitely regret not making lunch reservations at the restaurant overlooking the manicured lawn. Outdoor dining with no traffic noise is absolutely bliss to me, and this would've been ideal. But we passed through the arbor, whimsically placed in an enormous hedge, and had gelato while resting in the sunshine instead. Before leaving, we simply <b>had</b> to detour into the staff parking lot to gawk at the enormity of this hedge, That's a hedge! I napped (again) on the return Canadian ferry, so have little to report from that other than to say it was less like a ferry and more like a tiny cruise ship (no puzzles provided).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Our last day in the Pacific Northwest found us driving into the mountains and "Sasquatch country". There was much tittering and laughing about the latter, as we kept our eyes open for "him". We even passed through a town which holds an annual festival in his honor. I asked the clerk at the general store if he'd seen him, and he stared hard at me through narrowed eyes (not unlike you might imagine Clint Eastwood) and replied, "Not lately." Hmm. Escaping Sasquatch's grasp (ahem), we went higher and higher into the mountains. The rivers were rushing with the spring thaw and the waters all looked ever so icy cold. The views were simply spectacular on the way to and at our top destination of Mount Shuksan. Simple astounding! We felt as though we must be in the Alps, the mountains rose to such heights and still had so much snow for mid-April. Parts of Mt. Shuksan looked like an avalanche waiting to happen, and I found myself wondering more than once how real a possibility that might be, how far it would flow, if it would cover the road and strand us, and why we hadn't brought food and more water. But all's well that ends well! We weren't attacked by Sasquatch or buried alive in an avalanche -- just another beautiful travel day in the Pacific Northwest!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Helpful travels links to the Pacific Northwest...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Washington DOT for ferry service out of Anacortes, click <a href="https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/">here</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">BC Ferries for ferry service from Vancouver Island to Vancouver, click <a href="https://www.bcferries.com/">here</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Butchart Gardens, click <a href="https://www.butchartgardens.com/">here</a>.</span></div>
Kate at Wonderful Life Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01393342818341678583noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6100831175089493446.post-74115972880233567432019-05-21T23:37:00.001-04:002019-05-21T23:37:25.472-04:00Exploring the Pacific Northwest in the Springtime - Part I<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We booked plane tickets for our April trip to Washington state in late January. We were eager to see Alexander and India for the first time since the day after they got married last July! We couldn't wait for them to show us the rugged, foggy grandeur of the Pacific Northwest, as they have quickly fallen in love with it. And I was quietly looking forward to seeing how they were creating a life together (with their dog) so far from where they both grew up. What I hadn't known when booking those plane tickets in January, was how ill I would be with pneumonia in late-March up until our departure on April 18th.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Traveling when you're sick, or with someone who is sick, alters the trip and creates its own unique type of travel experience. Sometimes, it causes us to slow down, prioritize, and yield to the importance of flexibility over itinerary. Other times, I think we look back and realize that those travel moments encourage us in our present to marvel at our strength and resilience. And still other times, I think the big lesson in traveling ill is to be found in the kindness we are shown by others. I will definitely always remember this trip for the last reason -- for Dave and Julia dragging my luggage through the airport, to Alexander and India altering plans to include more drives, and everyone's sympathetic understanding as I caught naps my weary body needed on every car ride, every ferry ride, and all the moments in between.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Our first full day in the Pacific Northwest found us traveling by car, train, and foot. We caught the ferry out of Anacrotes, to San Juan Island. Don't you love ferries? We think ferry travel is just THE best! And this ferry had all the essential elements that make a ferry crossing pleasurable: vintage vibes, a cafeteria (popcorn---yay!), comfortable seats, jigsaw puzzles for working on together during the crossing, friendly fellow passengers, and dogs. Dogs and small children make ferry rides ever so much more fun! AND the views of the pine tree-studded, fog shrouded small islands we passed kept us hopping up from our puzzles and snacks to marvel at the beauty of each one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We docked at Friday Harbor on San Juan Island (the largest of the San Juan Islands), and after purchasing some huckleberry jam and huckleberry syrup and everyone refueling on coffee or hot chocolate, we headed out to our first destination, Cattle Point Lighthouse. I have not yet been to coastal England, but I have a sense that this area might be very much what it looks and feels like there. We meandered (me, very slowly) along the footpath through the tall, waving grasses to our lighthouse destination. As an avid walker who hadn't been able to venture outside our home for nearly a month, I must say that feeling the solid earth beneath my feet and the wind in my hair, and to feel well enough to stand on the edge of a cliff and soak in the beauty of it all, was <i>positively therapeutic. </i>We walked up and down the paths, studied the stark lighthouse (c. 1935), marveled at the driftwood logs tossed upon the rocky shore, and felt immensely grateful to be together.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Our next stop was another lighthouse, Lime Kiln Lighthouse. Even though both lighthouses exist on the same island, the terrain around them could not be more different. This lighthouse (c. 1919) was found by following a defined path through the woods and past gnarled trees. We wish we'd packed a picnic, as there were tables strategically placed along the path to take in the sweeping views of the water. This is a good viewing area for Orca whales, but although we kept our eyes out for them, we saw none. We think we were a little early in the season for whale watching--its season running in the San Juan Islands area from May through October.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After returning to Anacrotes on the ferry, we drove a short ways to Deception Pass. The view from the enormously tall bridge was spectacular! The nearly mint-green water below sparkled in the late afternoon sunshine. We spied a seal in the water! By driving across the bridge and entering Deception Pass State Park, we were able to access the rocky beach we had viewed from the bridge. Now it was our turn to look ant-size to the people above. As I sat on a driftwood log, everyone else took turns skipping stones on the water and clambering about the rocks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Day two's highlight was attending the <a href="https://www.tulips.com/">Roozengaarde </a>Tulip Festival in Vernon, Washington. It was a Saturday AND the day before Easter, so throngs of people had come to enjoy the seasonal display of acres upon acres of color-coded tulips waving in the breeze. We wandered among the rows, amazed at the variety that could be found in one flower. I enjoyed watching the field's workers picking armloads of tulips--their presence reminding me that beauty comes often through hard work. Most of the fields are planted in rows upon rows of tulips. Nearer the entrance were stylized gardens full of tulips, other bulbs and blooms, and flowering trees. And there were display areas with the more rare varieties carefully labeled. I made a note of several varieties, including some that were perfectly <i>enormous</i>, which I'd like to try growing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Some miscellaneous travel tips and/or observations from our first two days in the PNW:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Coffee can truly be found everywhere.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Make advance reservations for ferries out of Anacortes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Pack a warm scarf, wool sweaters, and coats as it's cooler than you'd expect it to be in April.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Go to the <a href="https://www.tulips.com/">Roozengaarde</a> Tulip Festival on a <u>weekday</u></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">- Pack a picnic to walk the trail to Lime Kiln Lighthouse on San Juan Island.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">- We never saw any mosquitoes or ticks.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">- Pet all the friendly dogs on the ferries!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Part II of this PNW travel memoir will include: Canada, mountains, and Sasquatch.</span>Kate at Wonderful Life Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01393342818341678583noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6100831175089493446.post-75284159652628741072019-04-17T16:08:00.000-04:002019-04-17T16:08:35.896-04:00Spring Birthday Celebration<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Bethany's birthday celebration day was one of the first really lovely spring days that we've had. The skies were brilliantly blue with puffy, white clouds whooshing past, a lovely breeze, and the faint promise of warming temperatures ahead. Since she loves spring so much, I was very grateful the day was such a beautiful one!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">A birthday party in the midst of illness is challenging, but we all pitched in together to make it happen. I did the easy tasks: marinating the chicken, arranging the flowers (click <a href="https://blog.wonderfullifefarm.com/2019/04/spring-flowers-for-spring-party.html">here</a> for that post), and setting the table. This was a one-dish meal served in our wobbly-edged pasta bowls we love so much (click <a href="https://www.crateandbarrel.com/marin-white-pasta-low-bowl/s141499">here</a>), so we used dinner plates as chargers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Tall goblets were for the adults and short glasses for the little ones. I kept the color palette very neutral, so the spring flowers would stand out as a bright pop of color. I assembled a vase full of the same blooms for the birthday girl to take home with her.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It felt <i>wonderful </i>to all be together again! Even though they don't live far away, their family went through one bout of illness after another all winter, people have traveled, and I've been sick, so it had been nearly three months since we've all been gathered at our home.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Carson and the kids were <i>overjoyed </i>to see each other again! I <u style="font-style: italic;">love</u> it when kids and dogs are happily running and playing and everyone's chattering in the kitchen!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Julia and Dave did all the cooking. Bethany requested one of our family favorites, Half Baked Harvest's 20 Minute Grilled Jerk Chicken with Mango-Nectarine Salsa over Coconut Rice. It's a flavor explosion of sweet, savory, and spicy -- SO fresh! Click<a href="https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/20-minute-grilled-jerk-chicken-with-mango-nectarine-salsa/"> here</a> for the chicken recipe. And click <a href="https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/easy-chicken-fajitas-with-thai-mango-slaw-and-coconut-rice/#bo-recipe">here</a> for the rice recipe contained within a different chicken recipe. The rice recipe may, <i>quite possibly</i>, change your life!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We all feel like this is the "start of the season" for this meal. We'll enjoy it from now through the summer, and undoubtedly conclude its fresh, spring-summery goodness with it being requested for Julia's birthday celebration in September.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">After dinner, it was present opening time. Bethany was thrilled with more white pieces for her kitchen from her sister.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And Dave, as a labor of love, made a "Little Free Library" for our author daughter. It was made to match their own home, and he spent many nights and weekends constructing it and cutting all the clapboards and shingles down to scale. Someday soon he will mount it in their yard, she'll register it with the "Little Free Library" (click <a href="https://littlefreelibrary.org/">here</a> for more information), and she'll fill it with worthwhile books for other to enjoy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span id="goog_1756454667"></span><span id="goog_1756454668"></span>Birthday cake time! Twenty-eight candles for our kindhearted, endlessly creative, nurturing daughter who blesses our family daily with her love and care!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">If you missed the cake recipe, for our favorite, decadently rich, chocolate cake, click <a href="https://blog.wonderfullifefarm.com/2019/04/julias-chocolate-cake.html">here</a>.</span></div>
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Kate at Wonderful Life Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01393342818341678583noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6100831175089493446.post-14841538881476083992019-04-15T12:40:00.000-04:002019-04-15T12:40:28.376-04:00Julia's Chocolate Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Whenever there's a birthday celebration in our family, I ask, "What type of cake would you like?" Honestly, asking that question is a mere matter of politeness, because we all know that the answer is a simple one -- Julia's chocolate cake. It's (just one) of her "signature recipes". And we <i>all </i>ask for it. Without fail. <i>Every </i>birthday. There are reasons for that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Recently in our family, we were discussing the essential qualities of a good chocolate cake. First and foremost, it actually has to taste like chocolate. As obvious as that sounds, think of all the times you've eaten a flavorless chocolate cake. A good chocolate cake should not disappoint your taste buds by its flavor being overpowered by the frosting. The two should complement each other and yet hold their own -- like a good marriage. The cake should be decadently rich in chocolate flavor.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Another essential quality is that the cake be moist. As the narrow tines of your fork pierce the frosting and descend into the cake, the cake should not crumble like a sand castle poked with a stick. Rather, its rich, chocolate goodness should cling to itself and be capable of holding together all the way to your mouth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Julia's Chocolate Cake will not disappoint! In fact, I'm pretty confident it will have your family and friends requesting it for their birthdays too! The original source of this recipe (nearly a decade ago) is unfortunately unknown to us, so if you know it, please do leave a comment and I'll happily give credit where it is due. But for now, here's the recipe for THE BEST chocolate cake:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>JULIA'S CHOCOLATE CAKE</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2 cups all-purpose flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 t. salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 t. baking powder</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2 t. baking soda</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3/4 c. cocoa powder</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2 c. sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 c. canola oil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3/4 c. brewed coffee</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 1/4 c. milk</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2 eggs</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 t. vanilla extract</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Sift together dry ingredients in mixer bowl. Add oil, coffee, and milk; mix at medium speed for one minute. Add eggs and vanilla; beat 2 more minutes. (Batter will be thin.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Pour into two, greased and floured, 9-inch round cake pans (or two, 8-in. round cake pans and six muffin cups).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool cakes for 10 minutes before removing from pans. Cool completely on wire racks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Frost with your favorite frosting.</span></div>
Kate at Wonderful Life Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01393342818341678583noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6100831175089493446.post-52810611477310385512019-04-13T14:34:00.000-04:002019-04-13T14:34:28.204-04:00Spring Flowers for a Spring Party<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiveB4QA7NuE0HC6RtGneXf9_Bc3Em94Y3JpFKuK1xFQFGVJW2zvIcL3dnkbR6mqsTjvt0POmPQmHMIrMeD08m_i_LlL0o_ALaciSaP48bxbKP-J7ZoTybv1-Wf58WGsypLL2rBaJEsdk/s1600/IMG_1edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiveB4QA7NuE0HC6RtGneXf9_Bc3Em94Y3JpFKuK1xFQFGVJW2zvIcL3dnkbR6mqsTjvt0POmPQmHMIrMeD08m_i_LlL0o_ALaciSaP48bxbKP-J7ZoTybv1-Wf58WGsypLL2rBaJEsdk/s640/IMG_1edit.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">First off, I'd like to say a very sincere thank you for all your enthusiasm and encouraging words on my last posting! Secondly, I am immeasurably grateful to all of you who follow me on Instagram and have expressed your love and have prayed for my health. And for those of you who aren't aware of it, I have been ill since March 27th with bronchitis which turned into pneumonia. Each day I feel <i>ever so slightly </i>improved. We have long-standing plans to travel next week, so here's hoping I'm well enough to go.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In the midst of this illness, Bethany, our first-born and only spring baby, turned 28 years old! Spring is her favorite season -- when all the world is fresh and new, returning to life, and full of beauty.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As all the colorful spring flowers make her heart happy, I knew a vibrant and fragrant arrangement down the center of the table would put a smile on her face for her birthday celebration.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Julia did the shopping, (since I was too ill), and chose bouquets of: daffodils, grape hyacinth (purple being Bethany's favorite color), and white tulips.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I utilized a long, skinny, willow basket, some packaged moss, and a bunch of canning jars to pull the whole look together. A half-dozen, pint-size, wide-mouth jars were placed in a zigzag arrangement down the length of the basket and filled with water. (Not shown: I filled the gaps between the jars by placing half-pint canning jars <i>upside down </i>into the spaces to help support the moss.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Then I cut the flower stems to length and divided them up evenly between each of the jars.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Small handfuls of moss were tucked gently around the edges and between all the flowers.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhijYpiBnhdASbPKAKf4aGfxr0a0VTsnSn4L2ojKRj57DleufTUNNbS4GP2YqslDGyp2MUk-WJDbVc2Qa4vW5UIqbnfo_G8BunaUrHMLqyEm38UlIZ7wgMe9VjYFEtC-rSBZ5nsvYJhICo/s1600/IMG_6aedit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhijYpiBnhdASbPKAKf4aGfxr0a0VTsnSn4L2ojKRj57DleufTUNNbS4GP2YqslDGyp2MUk-WJDbVc2Qa4vW5UIqbnfo_G8BunaUrHMLqyEm38UlIZ7wgMe9VjYFEtC-rSBZ5nsvYJhICo/s640/IMG_6aedit.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG9hVqoVri4jWqJN1kfQG3E_VR2T1c4RvASHa4STfWvOyfQQlaNhSYL_PagbKnTOqG92Se4J-kJj4HX6ntUzEutUHFQV_xl2_RmKSbJq6MWgbTBNsQ6ZvQjby6EWV3thmAiBS6hRVProA/s1600/IMG_6bedit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG9hVqoVri4jWqJN1kfQG3E_VR2T1c4RvASHa4STfWvOyfQQlaNhSYL_PagbKnTOqG92Se4J-kJj4HX6ntUzEutUHFQV_xl2_RmKSbJq6MWgbTBNsQ6ZvQjby6EWV3thmAiBS6hRVProA/s640/IMG_6bedit.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The pop of green and airy tendrils of the moss helped to provide just that organic, fresh, springtime look I was hoping for.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJIlYFUW3Yx4RonJPhMxs2NEuL42eJkn7N7701b1lfss1iEgjQDvT_FdEC6cZ7m9nEnlXimOvNYv8sD2dw3Fxs3FDvHuO_qe_aOhimxy1t2-U6klQ7MvmzLV6cKXWghJoU1gVs6dxMz-Y/s1600/IMG_7edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJIlYFUW3Yx4RonJPhMxs2NEuL42eJkn7N7701b1lfss1iEgjQDvT_FdEC6cZ7m9nEnlXimOvNYv8sD2dw3Fxs3FDvHuO_qe_aOhimxy1t2-U6klQ7MvmzLV6cKXWghJoU1gVs6dxMz-Y/s640/IMG_7edit.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To recreate this look for your spring table, you will need:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- long, skinny basket</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- half-pint and pint-size canning jars</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- 5 to 6 bunches of springtime flowers</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- pre-packaged, color-enhanced moss</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- water</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Next time I write, I'll tell you all about the dinner we served and share our favorite chocolate cake recipe from the celebration!</span></div>
Kate at Wonderful Life Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01393342818341678583noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6100831175089493446.post-26927571447103249982019-03-28T15:39:00.000-04:002019-03-28T15:54:35.221-04:00Changing Directions<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This is where I've been the last few months. Well, I've been here and completely lost in my head. So many afternoons spent this winter, cozied up by the fire with a cup of hot chocolate and reading, reading, reading. Thinking and pondering and talking it all over with family.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJIkZqBey_V8iGBEj1imJy4JQdDGxnf6dOyIMKDNhsGIJlhnb3sgzl5HNlGgmthYdxAEfQAptIzBBmIfPT23UAN2YlprZjNG8nlW5l10qv7nzBKRTJxsLdA49hGnKDW_MuaaQRGPTjErE/s1600/IMG_7739.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJIkZqBey_V8iGBEj1imJy4JQdDGxnf6dOyIMKDNhsGIJlhnb3sgzl5HNlGgmthYdxAEfQAptIzBBmIfPT23UAN2YlprZjNG8nlW5l10qv7nzBKRTJxsLdA49hGnKDW_MuaaQRGPTjErE/s640/IMG_7739.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I’ve been immensely challenged to shake things up! I’ve done all the inward processing and I’m pushing the self-doubt behind and starting to vocalize a bit of my dreams and plans! Although I love my Etsy shop, I realize that there’s a greater WHY behind what I do...that I LOVE creating happy memories for my friends and family! Hoping to transition off of Etsy and open my own online shop by spring 2020 focused around helping people to create happy memories for the people they love!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I may be a little less present here for the rest of the year while I make this big transition. But I hope that when I do post, it will be more of what I do best and a whole lot less of whatever's on my mind that night. But mostly, I hope it's more of what you want and need!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">(And don't worry, I will still be making and stocking the shop with costumes through October/November of this year.)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And in very exciting-slightly scary news(!), this Friday I’m being interviewed by <a href="https://www.josephinebrooks.co.uk/">Josephine Brooks</a>, a British productivity coach, for an episode for her<a href="https://www.josephinebrooks.co.uk/podcast"> podcast</a> on the topic of pivoting my business!</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">(P.S. You may also note a name change. When I first starting blogging years and years ago, our children were young and I wanted to protect their privacy. But now they all go by their own names online, so I'm making the switch too.)</span></span>Kate at Wonderful Life Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01393342818341678583noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6100831175089493446.post-24789385747105449922019-03-27T08:03:00.000-04:002019-03-27T08:03:37.134-04:00Anniversary<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Today, hubby and I celebrated 31 years of marriage! On one hand, it seemed like we were kids. And on the other hand, time just really seems to have flown. Was it really 31 years ago? </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT8NeF6hqK3BJXTjXX92PnzgCw0nJT72j-GoWebM0p1mBNnNQZ0EnDWvd-zO43S0a-ZkUXYqs7wFKPcS8FngkoYrDyZO66nQVq_nuh-EV0oqwHYA3IIL1skk86MoYiOEA1GGc7qVudTfE/s1600/Anniv1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT8NeF6hqK3BJXTjXX92PnzgCw0nJT72j-GoWebM0p1mBNnNQZ0EnDWvd-zO43S0a-ZkUXYqs7wFKPcS8FngkoYrDyZO66nQVq_nuh-EV0oqwHYA3IIL1skk86MoYiOEA1GGc7qVudTfE/s640/Anniv1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8lkDjGhhPAApldnlnCaZN9APXzKItSH7cujpJ1orZC-yzK-jA6hnEynoNUO3ViLGM3pcZlbgy1lnxcCfSAviu2INgPxjUXoJAwJNVu-F_HgmL3Ja0n856kY6xu40J7rsIOf-Ut0X6UbM/s1600/Anniv2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8lkDjGhhPAApldnlnCaZN9APXzKItSH7cujpJ1orZC-yzK-jA6hnEynoNUO3ViLGM3pcZlbgy1lnxcCfSAviu2INgPxjUXoJAwJNVu-F_HgmL3Ja0n856kY6xu40J7rsIOf-Ut0X6UbM/s640/Anniv2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is part of a large family photograph. I love it because, from left to right, my parents are celebrating 56 years of marriage this year, we're celebrating 31, and his parents are celebrating 59 years!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYG4oMd7f-unS7E0S8NUf2vwEIjXSyADFje-ArryKEUDZKHoDCEsRAKxibY7DM8N5uGeGDP3Nh5DXvE7BD-UUOzNUxixpFhepUEXm7f2y3Tf_YHheSxh29avEIWk-eSbOjRc3jsT4k2LY/s1600/Anniv3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYG4oMd7f-unS7E0S8NUf2vwEIjXSyADFje-ArryKEUDZKHoDCEsRAKxibY7DM8N5uGeGDP3Nh5DXvE7BD-UUOzNUxixpFhepUEXm7f2y3Tf_YHheSxh29avEIWk-eSbOjRc3jsT4k2LY/s640/Anniv3.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We celebrated tonight with dinner at The Copper Door...wine, steak, truffle fries...sooo good! Lots of conversation. Lots of gratitude.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbnd8FSEqgkqHwbX07IErKuwbtd6IGD70K6iBXXonOFK7SguFIBo8W3R9x60bTe85iF6MXvAq24YBpS8hRO12_eWVNYeuCmRQJz54hfng4SMTGVpC3E0CdEqBpGF4YdN55btSZWcS61oA/s1600/IMG_anniv5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbnd8FSEqgkqHwbX07IErKuwbtd6IGD70K6iBXXonOFK7SguFIBo8W3R9x60bTe85iF6MXvAq24YBpS8hRO12_eWVNYeuCmRQJz54hfng4SMTGVpC3E0CdEqBpGF4YdN55btSZWcS61oA/s640/IMG_anniv5.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Kate at Wonderful Life Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01393342818341678583noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6100831175089493446.post-41983856938000016602019-03-25T21:35:00.002-04:002019-03-25T21:35:50.820-04:00Love my Customers!<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My day was made today by a lovely customer, who left the following review of the Revolutionary War Soldier Costume she purchased for her son! My customers are the BEST!</span><br />
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<i style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #595959;">This costume is beautifully made. The fabrics are high-quality, the craftswomanship is excellent and the finishes (buttons, etc.) are high-quality. The design is expertly done to perfectly evoke the era but still be functional and play-worthy. We wanted a costume that would do all of that because our now-12yo will really use it for play and holidays. He understands what accurate period costume is, and loves this.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #595959;">Kate was lovely to work with: quick, responsive, a super-capable problem solver and helped us make sure the size was right. She shipped right off, even fitting a haversack we ordered last-minute and refunding that postage. Couldn't imagine better.</span></i></div>
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<i style="background-color: transparent;">I highly recommend the costume. Definitely worth the money. Compared to similar items it looks like the highest quality for similar price points.</i></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent;">More of those costumes coming soon to <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/WonderfulLifeFarm?ref=ss_profile">the shop</a>!</span></div>
</span></span>Kate at Wonderful Life Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01393342818341678583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6100831175089493446.post-84845890253168902782019-03-22T22:18:00.000-04:002019-03-22T22:18:17.535-04:00Sold Out<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The busy time of school programs is open us and the shop has been hopping! Although they're sold out now, I do plan on restocking these two costumes in the next few weeks. Meanwhile, if you just need it now, check out the other options in the shop by clicking <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/WonderfulLifeFarm?ref=ss_profile">here</a>.</span><br />
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Kate at Wonderful Life Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01393342818341678583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6100831175089493446.post-56767390385608828852019-03-21T22:39:00.000-04:002019-03-21T22:39:17.186-04:00Camellias and Glass<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This week, I took myself to the greenhouses at the Lyman Estate in Waltham, Massachusetts. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Their website describes the history of the greenhouses and estate as:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: montserrat, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; text-align: start;"><i>In 1793 Theodore Lyman, a Boston merchant in the East India and China trades, began developing his country estate by acquiring thirty acres in Waltham, Massachusetts. He hired an English gardener, William Bell, to lay out the property in the English picturesque style, which included large specimen trees, open fields, a pond system, a kitchen garden area, and a greenhouse complex. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I saved the estate for a different day, but I was there to see the camellias in the greenhouses this time. The greenhouses are laid out over three levels, and I worked my way through the first two before arriving at the Camellia House. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Grape House was "...built in 1804 for growing bananas, citrus, pineapples, and other exotic fruits".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">One of the smallest rooms in the network of greenhouses held some of the most unusual specimens.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And it even included a pregnant onion! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Coming to the Camellia House was just a bit thrilling for me! Camellias always remind me of my grandma. She had the largest camellia bushes I've ever seen in my life! The biggest two bushes must've been at least 8' x 8' and they were simply covered in blooms. She often let me pick the flowers, and being a child and camellia stems being a bit woody, they would frequently come off without a stem. I'd feel badly about that, but she was so calm. She'd simply pour water into a bowl and we'd float the blooms, making them lovely in a whole, new way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Some of the camellia bushes here are more than 100 years old. But what a rush of nostalgia, as I saw blooms that seemed straight out of my childhood.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The End. I hope you enjoyed your tour!</span></div>
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Kate at Wonderful Life Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01393342818341678583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6100831175089493446.post-62474400926142600932019-03-19T23:06:00.001-04:002019-03-19T23:06:52.552-04:00Winter Light<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_9GUHGuXrNm24ODhfj-PxbvOoJkI3EKzFKhUX2bdph1KgKdFtNYQwdWHl5peyKMI8o3RhKHP91ocwGKN1Dl8aDGflMAhbJBmf9RhzK9ahA9peNRAEDA-dBw4aLODjsyAwYxhh8P24PwA/s1600/IMG_0032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_9GUHGuXrNm24ODhfj-PxbvOoJkI3EKzFKhUX2bdph1KgKdFtNYQwdWHl5peyKMI8o3RhKHP91ocwGKN1Dl8aDGflMAhbJBmf9RhzK9ahA9peNRAEDA-dBw4aLODjsyAwYxhh8P24PwA/s640/IMG_0032.JPG" width="512" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">apricity - definition: <i>the warmth of the sun in winter</i></span></div>
Kate at Wonderful Life Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01393342818341678583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6100831175089493446.post-68040483195790847492019-03-17T15:25:00.004-04:002019-03-17T15:30:34.625-04:00St. Patrick's Day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>“For daily I expect to be murdered or betrayed or reduced to slavery if the occasion arises. But I fear nothing, because of the promises of Heaven; for I have cast myself into the hands of Almighty God, who reigns everywhere. As the prophet says: ‘Cast your burden on the Lord and he will sustain you.” </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;">― </span><span class="authorOrTitle" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: left;">St. Patrick, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;"></span><span id="quote_book_link_31618812" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;"><a class="authorOrTitle" href="https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/84591" style="color: #333333; text-decoration-line: none;">The Confessions of St. Patrick</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">To learn more about who St. Patrick really was, click <a href="https://www.ligonier.org/blog/who-was-saint-patrick-and-should-christians-celebrate-st-patricks-day/">here</a>.</span></div>
Kate at Wonderful Life Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01393342818341678583noreply@blogger.com0