Chicken Coop Update

As promised, we have a chicken coop update!

We still had one of our brooders (a box with a heat lamp set up for itty bitty chicks) in the sunroom, which was driving Tim nuts. He asked me what we could do to get the chicks out into the coop and I told him that since they were still not completely feathered they needed to have access to a heat source and since they were so small compared to our other chickens they needed to be separated somehow until proper introductions had been made :)

My smart hubby's solution to the problem?

This!

From materials that we already had (including the wood from the free pallets we picked up!), he arranged for the chicks to join the big chickens!

The sloped top makes it hard for chickens to roost on it, the chicken wire keeps the chicks safe from the pecking order while they grow, and the hinged lid makes it easy for me to clean, love on the chicks, feed and water them, etc.

Keelin was at school (this was done last week, by the way) and Jackson wanted to help us take the last 3 small chicks out to the coop. He wanted to carry one of our Buff Orpington pullets and that is my arm trying to encourage him to be gentle with her wings.

I think it's precious how gentle they try to be, even Jackson in his 2yr old way.

While Daddy arranges the new chick box, Jackson hangs out with the "beebee kickin'" and enjoys the sun!

A little hug for the chick *sigh* and in the background there, you can see one of our rain barrels sitting by the dog run. And yes, that is a big, blue plastic kiddie pool- for the dogs :)

The new setup. I was a bit concerned about putting the box right under the roost, but so far, the hens have stayed away from it! The water has been put up on a wooden pallet to keep the shavings out and been very successful at keeping the 26 free roaming chickens from mucking up their water.

The 2 wooden boxes under the roost are what I transported the  now-4 grown chickens home in a couple of weeks ago. Thanks to the people I got the chickens from, the pullets can now reach the roosts, which they enjoy!

The heat lamp has since been moved to a corner of the chicken box and thanks to the beautiful weather, is only on at night now.

One of our Black Australorp pullets checking out the chicks new digs!

Copy-crafting!

This morning, I was catching up on my blog reading. I read one of Kory's recent entries on Live Completely and was inspired!

Jackson and I ran to the craft store and picked up some essentials and I got started making Waldorf-inspired toys for him and Keelin. I have always purchased these kinds of learning toys, but have never even considered that I might be able to successfully make them myself! You know, let's be real. I LOVE handmade toys and LOVE unique educational materials to use with my little ones, but we're on a budget! I don't have an endless supply of funds to spend on Etsy, so anything that I can do myself is a great benefit!

Bitty Man armed and ready!

He helped me put together and paint a wooden tractor model!

No pictures, though. It was "his." Nooo pictures!

$1.00 for a wooden basket!

Perfect for holding peg people!

Like these!

That fit into bean pot candle cups like these!

Kinda line this!

I made a set of 6, a rainbow!

Blue, Yellow, Red, Green, Purple, and Orange!

A Power family easter basket! :)

I also picked up a bag of recycled cardboard eggs!

The bottom left egg is unpainted for this photo.

Just thought I'd share what I spent my afternoon doing!

I did some sorting balls in the colors to match the cups,

pastels for the eggs!

All finished!

Haven't decided whether or not to give the other peg people faces...

Anyway, visit Kory and show her some love! She writes a delightful blog!

I'm planning to make these and more for favors to give guests at Keelin's 5th birthday party this summer- no plastic ickiness here!

If you're one of Keelin's friends mommies, I ruined the surprise, but I just had to share :)

Where did Spring go!?

Not good pictures in the photography sense, but MAN I love these kids! They're so darn squishy!

Well, today was another chilly day here in North Carolina. I really wish Spring would hightail it back here, so I can get to work outside! This damp cold gets in my bones; special thanks for that goes out to the douche waffle that rammed his SUV into my station wagon in late 2009. My back always aches when it's cold and damp :( Doesn't help being 17 weeks pregnant, either.

Anyway, no more whining from me! We had a productive day inside, regardless of the weather. I signed up for a local consignment so that I could sell off some Medium maternity clothes that I purchased online when I first found out that Baby #3 was on his way. I'm carrying MUCH higher than I usually do, so I'm actually still wearing my larger, regular jeans. I am pretty sure I MIGHT fit properly into size Small maternity clothes by the time my pregnancy journey ends, but I will never in a million years fit into these Mediums, so to the sale they go! They're mostly new with tags and I got a sweet deal on them from a mama who never got around to wearing them, so I just hope to get out of them what I paid. Fingers crossed that I'll find some great items at the consignor pre-sale, too! :) Definitely my favorite part of consigning... getting to shop early!

So, are a few more pictures of our day!

Bottom drawer of Baby Finn's organizer- organic cotton prefold diapers in the back, handmade all in ones to the left, tinkle trap pre-fitteds to the right, plus some Thirsties XS covers and Loveybums wool wraps! All purchased used from other mamas! Prepped and ready for baby!

Here are the clothes we have so far for Baby #3. Soft, organic cotton everything in gender neutral colors, all purchased from consignments or purchased used from mamas online.

Here is a full length shot of the organizer. It's one of two I've purchased for our last baby. It's an organizer made by Badger Basket- unfinished wood, sustainably harvested, organic cotton baskets. I think the look is to die for! The other is put together in Jackson's closet, holding his diapers and wool, since Baby doesn't have much yet!

A thrifted table I bought for $10 last fall. It was BRIGHT blue and hideous, but I liked the lines. Scraped the junk and paint off, painted it white with no VOC paint, and voila! Perfect bedside table for Jackson!

Happy Monday :)