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zone work.

1/8/2019

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This week, as part of the Farmhouse654 12-week Challenge, we are looking at our habits and routines.

We have chosen a few areas of our lives where it would be helpful to have a routine written down so we can follow it for the next month and make it a habit.  

I finally feel like I am to that point with my Morning Routine.

I wake up and start my favorite coffee in the Keurig.

I make my bed,
do my quiet time,
start a load of laundry,
shower,
& get ready for my day...
A morning routine...without even thinking about it!  ​Wow!

I'm currently working to get my bedtime routine just as automatic.

Two of the big pieces of my bedtime routine include laying everything out for the next day AND doing a "quick pickup" of the house, where all five of us set a 15-minute timer and do just what it sounds like...PICK UP! 

This really has helped the house to not get too out of control lately.
 
Farmhouse654 12-Week Challenge
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This is a group to track our progress over the first twelve weeks of 2019 and share our successes for the Farmhouse654 12-Week Challenge!
 
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These daily routines are so important to help keep the house manageable.

And when I started following the FlyLady 10-15 years ago, I learned how important cleaning zones in our homes can be too for those "deep-cleaning" tasks.

The basic concept is for you to divide your home into various zones. 

I used to try and make sure I was getting through every single zone every single month.

However, starting this next week, I think I'll put my house on an eight-week zone rotation.
  1. Front Porch, Living Room, Deck
  2. Kitchen & Mud Room
  3. Dining Room & Laundry Room
  4. Downstairs Bathroom & Mattie's Room
  5. Our Bedroom & Office
  6. Older Girls' Bedrooms Upstairs
  7. Upstairs Bathroom & Playroom
  8. Outside the House & Basement

Today, and for the rest of this week, I'll be focusing on deep-cleaning the front porch, the living room, and our deck.

I make a list of tasks to get these three areas "all spiffied up" and I work on that list for 15-30 minutes a day (depending on each night's activities).
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​Here is my list for this week. ⬆️
As I am working through my list for this week, I'm thinking about my zone for next week (kitchen & mud room) and things that need to be finished in those rooms.

I just work to get what I can finished each evening and try to finish up on Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon.

Zone work isn't meant to be stressful. 

It's just a way to get some of those deep-cleaning tasks  (that we often neglect) finished every eight weeks.  If you get to the end of the week and a few tasks aren't complete, just move on and get those tasks finished on the next round.
So...your task for today is to divide your home into zones.

You can decide how many.

You can decide what types of tasks to put on your zone lists.

​The important part is to start to develop some habits for deep-cleaning a little at a time, instead of just constantly being stuck in the cycle of having a BIG cleaning day every few weeks.

Working my zones at the farmhouse this morning!

​❤️?❤️
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home alone.

12/20/2018

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Today is my first day of Christmas break.

My girls, however, are still in school...so I am home alone.

A day to myself to do whatever I want to do.

And what do I have planned on this wonderful day?
Coffee from my new Rae Dunn mug.
Bible Study.
Christmas Music.
Writing.
Laundry.
Dishes.
Editing Photos.
Picking up the house.
Dusting.
Sweeping.
Wrapping.
​Reflecting.


Dreaming & Planning for 2019.

​Happy Peaceful, Quiet Friday Eve from the farmhouse, friends.


​❤️?❤️
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autumn days.

10/6/2018

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There's no question about it.  

Autumn is my favorite season.

It's often short-lived here in Missouri and we often spend a day or two each September with a taste of Autumn before jumping back into high temperatures for another week or so. 

However, I am hopeful that yesterday was our last day in the 80's for a while.

Bring on the colorful leaves, misty mornings, Pumpkin Spice-everything, scarves, and cozy hooded sweatshirts.

Since making my decision to put down the camera and focus solely on my new role at school this year, I've had a lot more weekend time at home.

It's not basketball season yet and our nephew's football games have been in the evenings, so I have been able to wake up on Saturday mornings and spend some time in the quiet of the farmhouse front porch, taking in the crisp, cool morning breeze.
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I love the way Ralph Waldo Emerson said it...
"Each moment of the year has its own beauty."

Every year, in the last weekend of September, I have the opportunity to speak at a women's retreat (hello to all my women's retreat readers!).  This year, I mentioned our "seasons" of life. 

As I sit here listening to the rumble of thunder from an early-morning autumn thunderstorm while I type, I think about the anticipation that comes at the beginning of each season of the year.

We have a chance each morning to "start over", but something about a change in the weather and environment is a real motivation for me.
When the long summer days start to get shorter and the hot, humid days start to get cooler, I feel a renewed sense of urgency for enjoying every moment in my home with Mr. Farmhouse and the girls.

I start to think more about crock pots with simmering soup, evenings spent around the fire pit, and the smell of fresh-baked cookies wafting through the house.
My mind wanders to movie nights as a family with warm apple cider and popcorn, trips to the pumpkin patch, and hay rides.

I begin thinking about the holiday traditions that come with October, November, and December and I smile.

We slow down on the gravel roads to look at deer in the fields and combines harvesting.

We spend our evenings in gyms watching our nieces play volleyball or on the football field, cheering on the boys of fall.


The change of any season is new and refreshing and beautiful.

But there is something about autumn that renews my spirit.


Happy Autumn from the Farmhouse, friends.

​❤️🍂🏡🍂❤️
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a farmhouse story.

2/4/2018

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When we first announced to the world (okay, our little world) that we were buying the farmhouse, I posted a picture and a friend of ours tagged Stephanie in it.

She said, "This house looks just like the house I grew up in!"

And at that moment...the story began unfolding.
Stephanie and I began messaging back and forth about the history of the house and her memories of growing up there.

Her dad, mom, and brother moved into the farmhouse in March of 1971, shortly before she was born.

It was the house she spent her childhood and high school years in.
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She and I have been corresponding since we made contact that day about everything from the wells on the property to the way you have to put your hip into the interior doors to get them to close just right.

It has been a joy to have conversation with Stephanie about the home we have come to love and call our own and to get to know her sweet mama through our talks!

We have been saying for the last several months that the next time she was in Adrian, she would have to come visit and this weekend we were able to make that happen!

Stephanie, her brother Keith, and Keith's wife Tracy came out to see the farmhouse this afternoon.

They brought the aerial image you see above of the farm in the 1970's.
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They also brought the image to the left you can see here from somewhere in the 1940s.

Currently, only four of the structures seen in these photos are standing...one being the house.

What a gift to have these photos, as a connection to the past and an inspiration for where we would like to take the property in the future.
Our girls have been looking forward to meeting Stephanie ever since I told them about her several months ago.

Today, it happened.

She and Keith walked them through the house and gave them a tour, sharing details of what the house was like in year's past.

Mattie showed them her bedroom and closet (and offered to show them again at least four or five times).  The wallpaper that Stephanie picked out as a young girl is still in the closet!

Claire shared the transformation to her girly bedroom from the one that was Keith's bedroom in high school.

Harlee's bedroom wasn't even a room back then...but instead a loft area that overlooked the stairwell.  She enjoyed showing off her basketball room and reminding Mr. Farmhouse once again that he still hasn't built her a wall.

What a beautiful snowy day to introduce the girls to the adults who grew up here.

Thanks for coming out, Highley family.

​❤️🏡❤️
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the quilting ladies.

1/30/2018

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Last week, I wrote about my grandmother's time (for the last sixty years) as the organist for Adrian Christian Church.

This got me to reminiscing.

I have so many memories in the church and one of my favorites is visiting with "the quilting ladies".

For the first 25 years of my life (at least), there was a group of ladies who met every Tuesday to quilt in the basement of our old church that used to sit smack-dab in the middle of town.

Before I was in school and in the summertime after I started school, I can remember going to the church with our grandmother and great-grandmother on quilting day.

I can still hear the chatter of the quilting ladies and picture them sitting around working diligently on their masterpieces.

I can picture so many special women who have gone on to see Jesus before us sitting around those quilts.

When I think about these women, I think of patience...

I think of attention to detail...

I think of friendship.

When I think about these women, I can see in my mind some of my most precious spiritual mentors through my young adult life...

I can hear their laughter as they shared stories of the good ol' days...

I can still smell the food they brought to share a meal together each week.

Looking back, I realize how much I learned just watching these ladies work...week-in and week-out.

​The quilting days of Adrian Christian Church have come to an end.

But it just takes a second for me to close my eyes and be transported back to that church basement, back to a simpler time...spending time with some of the most wonderful ladies I was ever privileged to meet.

What a sweet, sweet memory.

​❤️🏡❤️

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new.

1/1/2018

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Sigh.

New. 

It's such a great word.

So fresh.  So promising.  So full of hope.

Happy New Year, friends.

Here we are.  January 1st.

I used to set goals for the new year in several different categories.
  • Faith
  • Health
  • Finances
  • Career
  • Marriage & Parenting
  • Friendships
  • Fun

I made these big elaborate lists and sometimes I stuck to one or two of my "resolutions".

A few years ago, however, I began trying to really focus in on one word or phrase each new year.  

One year it was "balance", another year it was "no".  

"Intentional."

​"Peace."

This year, I've had three words and/or phrases running through my mind over the last few weeks, so I think I'll use them all as my focus for 2018.
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Be transformed.

Our minister has been preaching for the last several weeks on the transformation that should come from knowing Jesus.

I want to focus this year on being transformed because of Who Jesus is.  

I want people to be able to see Him in every aspect of my life.

I want to be transformed.

Unplug.

I read an article this week about the addictive nature of a cell phone for young kids.

I was convicted about the addictive nature of technology for myself.

I know that technology can be a good thing, but I think sometimes satan uses good things to distract us from our purpose.

The purpose of being a good wife.

...of raising Kingdom kids.

...of building deep relationships with people.

...of creating a home environment that is beautiful for our families.

...of taking care of ourselves so we can pour into others.

This year I will set limitations on social media usage and spend more time focusing on face-to-face interaction with those I love.

Do fewer things, better.

I am notorious for working hard to balance too many spinning plates.

I can usually multi-task without much problem. 

I say "yes" often to lighten the load for others.

I get a lot accomplished and a lot of times, those accomplishments are just "good enough". 

This year, I want to simplify.
To minimize.
To do fewer things and to do them better.

What are your goals for 2018? 
Do you set resolutions? 
If you could choose one word to take with you this year...what would it be?

Make it a great year, friends!

New Year's Love from the Farmhouse,
Hannah

​❤️🏡❤️
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partly ready for fall.

9/4/2017

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Labor Day Weekend marks the unofficial beginning of my very favorite season.

For the last few years, it has become a tradition to put out all my fall decorations on Labor Day.

This year was no different.

Wait, yes it was.  

This year was very different.

This year, I spent Labor Day getting the last of the "back to school madness" organized and ready for the bulk of the school year that is upon us.

This year, I was planning to have time to search the garage to find the fall decorations.

And I didn't have time.

So when I went to Dollar General to grab a foil pan for Matthew to put the brisket in that he was making for supper tonight, I spent $10 and bought a few fall items.
I bought a cutesy little owl, a "be thankful" pumpkin, and a bag of pumpkins & pinecones.

This, coupled with an adorable hand-soap dispenser one of my students' sent home with me the other night, is the extent of the fall decorations I got put out today.

And you know what?  That's okay.

I know I'll have to find a new place for all of my decorations anyway, so it might take a little while over the next few weekends.
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I spent yesterday afternoon cleaning house to prepare for the decorating process, but didn't get finished.

Sunday evening, I changed all the Scentsy in my house to fall scents and this morning, I lit my fall candles.  

I drank my coffee in the quiet this morning and prepared for a long day of transforming the farmhouse to a peaceful fall sanctuary.

Mr. Farmhouse was off work too, so he started smoking a brisket early this morning and he and my brother got to work bringing some more of our outside belongings from the old house.

​By 11:30, I realized that all of the fall decorations might not be coming out today.

I had made a huge dent in the laundry, finished up the dishes, and done a quick run-through of the rest of the downstairs.  

I hung some pictures in our bedroom and in the living room that I had been putting off and made some notes about the week coming up.
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I worked on some school plans for this week and edited a few photography sessions.

I enjoyed some more coffee about mid-afternoon.

I organized Mattie's room and contemplated hanging some of her wall art, even though we'll be redoing the sheetrock in a month or two.  

Decided against it, lol.

Now, I'm drinking coffee again and listening to Matthew & the girls play outside while I grade some papers.

This is the life.

Whether I live in a fully-decorated fall farmhouse or not.  ❤️🍂🏡🍁❤️
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officially official.

9/3/2017

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You guys.

Something really big happened on Friday.

We.
Sold.
Our.
House.

You might remember that we have owned the old house and the farmhouse for the last month.

We went ahead and purchased the farmhouse so our sellers could move along with their lives and were still waiting on our sale to go through.

We knew it was happening, just didn't know when.

And then...last Monday, we got a phone call.

It was happening.

It was time to sign papers and officially sell our house!

This process that started last spring was finally coming to a close.

It was a long-awaited phone call.

A huge relief.

A blessing to finally get rid of the feeling that we were holding our breaths until everything came to a close.
 
We signed Friday after school to finalize the sale.

Earlier that day, on Friday morning, sweet Dylan & Bailey went and signed the papers (how stinking cute are they???) to start making the house we had loved for so long into their own home.
And boy have they started that process!  

They've already painted, torn up carpet, and laid new flooring!

I can't wait to share some of their work over here on the blog in the near future!

When Matthew and I got married, we were 19 & 20.  

We purchased a little starter house in town and worked hard to make it our own and eventually get to the country, where we longed to be.

In 2006, we made that happen by purchasing the house where we have lived for the last 11 years.
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It's a joy to see these "kids" who share so much of our story jumping in and making our old house their home.

We are excited for them to finally be through this process, even if they are having to keep Harlee's LeBron James cutout on the wall for a few more weeks until we can get her wall built and move him to his forever home!

Thanks for sticking with us through this process, faithful readers!

Can't wait to share the future of the farmhouse as we start to transform the upstairs with  a few extra walls and a bathroom!

​Coming soon!  ❤️🏡❤️
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target clearance.

8/26/2017

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Let's be real.

I have made MANY impulse purchases of items from Target that happen to be clearanced.

Usually, those little clearance tags with the red outline call to me from the aisles.

​"Look at this amazing throw pillow that needs to be on my couch!"

"Ooooo...an aqua- and coral-colored organizational basket!"

"Matching clothes for the girls!"
This time, though...the clearance called me from my email.

When I saw this cute little cabinet come up on my computer screen.

The one on my computer was actually red...and it was adorable.  I thought it would fit perfectly in my teal & red farmhouse kitchen.

But it was $120...even on sale.  Mr. Banana Split Yellow cabinet was a nice $89.
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So I made my first ONLINE clearance impulse purchase at Target.com.

It came in a nice big box and sat in the living room for a few days.

Then one night, Mr. Farmhouse got home early from checking cows and I said, "Hey, can you do me a favor?"

"Sure."

"Can you put something together for me?"

(sigh) "What's that?"

And in that moment, I revealed my amazing clearance purchase of this adorable yellow cabinet for the kitchen.

Mr. Farmhouse was not impressed.

In fact, I think "the ugliest color of yellow I've ever seen" was inserted somewhere in the conversation.

​But he loves me.
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And so...he put it together.

And moved it into the kitchen for me.

And then he seemed to have an opinion about where the "ugliest color of yellow" cutesy shelf should be placed in the kitchen.

He thought it should be flat along the wall, about two inches over the trim.

I thought it should be placed at an angle to make it look more centered.
So I took it to the Facebook world and posted it on the Farmhouse654 Facebook page.

By an overwhelming majority, the "angled" folks won.  

Although the "what if stuff falls behind the cabinet?" folks did have a good point.

​However, just like we have been very intentional about the space on top of the coffee bar, we will be intentional about this space too.
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The top of the yellow cabinet will be used for our bread basket and a box of Kleenex.

That's it.
​
I used a few more $6.00 Dollar General baskets in the bottom of the cabinet for some small appliances, like my blender & mixer.


I'll add another one of those baskets to the top shelf in-between my favorite cookbooks and my favorite coffee mugs for potatoes and that will be all!

It's visible, yet organized.

​Functional, yet stylish. 
​
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Banana Split Yellow, yet adorable.

Happy Almost Weekend, friends.  ❤️🏡❤️
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654.

7/28/2017

1 Comment

 
June 5, 2004.

06-05-04.

654.

Many people have asked me or made guesses about where the "654" on Farmhouse654 came from.

It's not our house number.
It's not our street number.
It's not the number of dollars we have spent on the farmhouse, so far...I wish it was only $654!

It's our wedding anniversary.

Mr. Farmhouse and I went on our first date in September of 2000, to the Homecoming bonfire.

As a junior cheerleader, I needed a football jersey to wear and as a freshman football player, he had one.
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From that point on, we were pretty much inseparable.

I married my high school sweetheart two short weeks after his high school graduation.

People thought we were crazy.
Too young.
Immature.
Settling for each other before really "seeing the world".

But while people thought we were crazy...we KNEW we were crazy.

Crazy for each other.
Committed to each other.
Excited to grow up together and grow old together.

We got married on June 5th, 2004.

And we just celebrated our 13th anniversary.

654 is the day our married life begun.

We've had ups and downs.

Good days and bad days.

New jobs, new homes, and three beautiful daughters added to the family.

654 was the start of everything we know and love.

And that's what I think of every time I write for Farmhouse654.

​❤️🏡❤️
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