From Us To YOU, Happy Halloween!

THE FARMER AND HIS WIFE WOULD LIKE TO WISH YOU A VERY HAPPPPPPPPY HALLOWEEN!! 

 

 

♥♥♥♥♥♥

 

We hope you creative types are having all sorts of fun decorating, dressing up, and playing with make-up.

We also hope those of you who like scaring people on Halloween are inside just snackin' on candy and totally lose track of time; because we don't like the icky part of Halloween one bit! 

Sweet Girly Scarecrow Make-up for Halloween

Can you believe October is coming to an end already?  I swear it was just September like a week ago! Now we're already being jolted straight into the busy holiday season (which I'm totally looking forward to)! 

Fridays are what we call Fun Friday in our Homeschool.  We focus primarily on Reading, Math, and Art/Crafts.  It's also my day to get caught up on the Social Media posting that I do for local businesses, and plan out our next week of schooling.  We don't do this every Friday, because sometimes we've had other busy days within our week and we really need the catch up, but this week, we've all worked hard, so we're celebrating!

Halloween is tomorrow, and in typical busy-mom style, I still don't know if we're going out trick-or-treating, staying home to hand out treats, or skipping it all together.  I have such conflicting, but passive, thoughts on the whole Halloween thing. But we do know this-  We will spend the night together as a family, and it will be another opportunity to make memories with our kiddos. 

Today my oldest and I decided to try out a Scarecrow make-up pin that I saw HERE

(Sadly I cannot find a source for the original pin, so if this is you, let me know, I'd love to give you a shout out & see what other cool looks you've came up with).

 

Check out our little YouTube video:



 

Would you rather see that in print form?  Here it is:

 

We used just 5 cosmetics that I bet you even have at home:

Blush- Damp for cheeks, dry for eyes

Gold Eye Shadow*- Damp for the nose

Black Eye Liner: For the patchwork

Mascara: For some extra eye poppin'

Lip Balm: For some girly shine

 

*Another light color would work as well if you don't have gold.

 

For clothing we pulled out a plaid shirt and bib overalls from her closet. 
They were both found on clearance at Wal-Mart for just $3 each!

God's Grace and Forgiveness

Winter in Iowa is coming!  Just today we had a little bit of white flurries falling from the sky.  It didn't last long, but it was evident!

Is anyone else out there absolutely thrilled about the beautiful white flurries making their appearance?

EEEK!  They're just so gorgeous! 

I am beyond ready for a fresh blanket of pure white goodness on the ground.  Waking up to a yard covered in pure white reminds me so much of how God's Grace and Forgiveness, can cover a multitude of our sins.

Now don't get me wrong, I'd really appreciate a handful or more of 70+ degree days so we can get some outdoor family pictures done, but I am eager for  the winter season too.  I love snuggling up with my family, sipping hot chocolate, warming my hands by the oven after I've pulled out a frozen pizza casserole and carried it to the table.  There's so much to be thankful for in the winter season. 

For the record, digging for gloves and ending up mismatched is not one of those joys.  Anyone have an amazing glove system for little people and husbands?  I think I've tried it all, but something not working here. 

 

Isaiah 1:18-20 says:
“Let Us Reason”

“Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the Lord.
“[a]Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be like wool.

“If you are willing and obedient,
You shall eat the best of the land;

But if you refuse and rebel,
You shall be devoured by the sword.”
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken

Fair Trade: Coffee and Accessories

Although my husband doesn't like coffee, and I assure you I did not know this before I married him, he buys it for me anyways.  In marriage there is commitment AND compromise, folks. 

 

 

Over the last 11 years that I've been buying coffee (since I can't just drink my parents' for free any more) I've bought it from just about everywhere you can imagine.  I've also bought it in several different brands, forms, and flavors.  This time around I decided to try out the Fair Trade coffee from our church. 

 

There are so many reasons to LOVE this coffee. 

1. I can get it easily.  Which is a plus, because I do NOT like to be out of coffee! I'm not addicted or anything, I just appreciate a hot cup of Joe in the morning, and sometimes even in the evening.  In the afternoon I like it over ice.

2. It's Fair Trade, which according to Google means "trade in which fair prices are paid to producers in developing countries." 

3. It's organic.  I have a terrible time with non-organic coffee giving me headaches when I drink it in bulk, which I pretty much always do.

4. It comes in Decaf and Regular.  Occasionally I like to have choices.   

5. It's delicious!  Truly, the flavor of this coffee is THE BOMB!

 

I've bought so many Fair Trade items from food, to apparel, to Christmas decorations, and always feel good knowing our money is going somewhere worthy and benefiting real people, who really need it.

 

I did away with my coffee pots (yes I had multiples) a few years ago in an effort to clean up the counters.  I use a French Press from Ikea that washes up well and stores nicely in a cupboard. 

 

 

 

If you're looking for a challenge this week try one of these:

 

Watch Where You're Spending Your Money. 

1. Are the purchases you're making necessary?

2. Are they fairly benefiting both you and the person/company that you're buying them from?

 

 

Clean up Your Counters

Unless you've got some mad skills or super powers, I'm sure there is SOMETHING you can do to clean up your counters a bit.  I used to even put the toaster away in the pantry when we weren't using it daily.  Clean Counters=Calm & Order.  It's pure delight to walk into a kitchen with clean counters. 

 

 

Sip Coffee and Relax

If you're in a season where you want a challenge, but the thought of actually taking on one more thing stresses you out to the max, then THIS is the challenge for you! 

Just take time to sip some coffee (OR TEA!) and relax. 

 

 

 

*Note: If you are looking for a way to add some Fair Trade accessories to your wardrobe (like the scarf and earrings I'm wearing in the picture) check out my friend Courtney's Trades of Hope page.  There you will find beautiful scarves, jewelry, handbags and more!  All Fair Trade, All Beautiful!

A Tripod Setup For YouTube and Periscope For Under $35!

This post contains affiliate links to what I purchased to make this set up.

You can read all about my affiliate links through my disclosure tab- but it's basically this:  Amazon pays me a percentage of each sale that is made through clicking my links.  I use that money towards homeschooling my children, running this blog, glorifying God, and hosting giveaways. 
I would never EVER post a link to a product I didn’t believe in- Promise!

 

A camera tripod has been on my Amazon wish list basically ever since I bought my fancy camera back in December 2014.  But for some reason I’ve just kept it there.  I’ve been worried about getting a cheap one and it breaking my camera or something. 

I don’t know people, I am not a camera savvy gal- I’m strictly a wannabe in this area.  I’m researching a ton and learning a lot though; that counts for something, right?

Now that I’ve been taking more pictures, and using the *Periscope app, I finally justified adding a tripod to my cart. 

You should’ve seen me running across the house when my brown boyfriend (the UPS man) dropped the tripod at my door!

Yay for making decisions!  Yay for packages delivered on time! 

Yay for new gadgets!

 

I went with an inexpensive Amazon Basics tripod and also ordered a cell phone adapter, so I could use my phone on the tripod as well (for YouTube and *Periscope videos).

 

After I got the cell phone adapter I quickly realized it’s the same as the top of a selfie stick, which I have a couple of, so I really didn’t need to purchase another one.  oops!  So if you already have a selfie stick, just twist the top portion off (the part that holds the cell phone) and twist it onto the tripod's removable base part (or whatever that piece called).

 

What I love about this tripod:

·         It is super lightweight, 3lbs.
·         Its height is adjustable from 20 inches all the way to 60 inches, which is just perfect for what I need it for.
 

 ·         It has two levels in different positions, so you can get a nice straight shot. 

·         Once you have the little mounting plate screwed into the bottom of your camera (or selfie adapter) you can take the camera off quickly, snap a few shots, and snap it right back into the tripod.

 

·         It comes with a quality carrying case.  Oh & it also has a nice handle on the tripod!

  

 

*Have you heard of Periscope? It’s basically like the next big thing in social media. It’s a live video streaming app that allows you to broadcast from wherever you are, or to see video from anywhere in the world. I’m pretty much in love with it.