Friday

A New Favorite

Wanna know something I have totally fallen in love with?

 

Photo Source

 

I just can not get enough of these cups! I got my first one in a kit they gave out at Scentsy Convention last year and I’ve been hooked ever since. I have always been a straw kind of gal but I especially love that these have a stopper on them that keeps the straw from coming out. The screw on lid with a seal steals my glance too. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve folded a to go cup in half and the lid popped off making a huge mess. I love that they are reusable and dishwasher safe.

I have 3 of them. The Scentsy one, one that we got at Joel’s company picnic, and one I used my Old Navy Rewards to get. So I haven’t bought any of them!

My favorite part is that I drink more water when they are around. That’s always a good thing!

In My Pitiful Garden….

Well, it’s not looking like much over here.

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Of course it doesn’t help when your 2 year old pull all of your Swiss chard but the killer is really the aphids. I’m using a home made mix of citrus vinegar, dish detergent, and water. It’s working but not fast enough!

On the bright side it was in the 40s when I came home the other day!!! Let’s all hope this keeps up and Spring is on it’s way!!!

Saturday

Let There Be Chicks!!!

After ending up with so many roosters last year we still had a few open spots available for layers. Because it was so late in the summer we decided that we would wait until this spring to get chicks again.

A week or so ago we found Black (I know, creative right?!) all nestled into a nest box brooding away on some plastic Easter eggs! We had already ordered EEs and were just waiting for them to come in. Could it get any more perfect?

The only problem was that she had only been broody for a little over a week when the chicks got here and everything I read online said they needed to sit through about 3 weeks before putting day old chicks under her. Several of the same sources said it didn’t have to be an exact amount of time because hens couldn’t tell the difference. So…if they can’t tell the difference, why wait? We didn’t.

We started out with 4, but 2 didn’t make it through the first night. We don’t know if they were sick or tired from their trip or if Mama here just though she only needed two but here we are.

 

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We decided to let Black raise them for a couple of reasons but mostly because it would mean less work for us. It’s beginning to break up here and I have enough poop scooping and ice chipping to keep me plenty busy.

 

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Black is plenty protective of her two little girls (everyone cross your fingers!) and hardly lets them out even to eat! I know they are still babies and they can survive on what they got from the yolk but they really do love to eat and drink on their own.

 

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It has been pretty awesome to watch nature at work. They are two happy, healthy little chicks who love to snuggle under their “mother” and she is happy to have them!