New Members of Our Family + What We Did

It felt really good to get my legs moving again on the treadmill.  Andrew worked this last weekend and I had no desire to go before his shift on Saturday in the snowstorm so the treadmill did the trick.  I always play around with the speed on the treadmill and it felt good to feel my legs moving again.  Sweat is healing.

8 miles for the morning and 52 miles for the week.  I have a feeling the treadmill and I are going to be building a strong relationship together over the next few weeks.

This was one of the highlights of my weekend… I found out that Brené Brown has a PODCAST and this episode was incredible (I just ordered Glennon Doyle’s new book and I cannot wait).

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Next up for my Saturday—>  attempting to keep the girls busy for the rest of the day which is a little bit more tough when it is raining/snowing for most of the day but WE DID IT and I clapped for myself at the end of the day;)

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Brooke is incredibly good at chess and she really tests me when we play together.

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She was just thrilled to have a day with nothing on her schedule.

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The best part of the day was when Andrew got home from work.  We picked up food from Chipotle and ate it parked in the parking lot (we couldn’t wait until we got home to eat it which resulted in multiple spills on all of us ha).  Their burritos have never tasted as good as they did yesterday.

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Bedtimes are definitely not as strict around here these days.

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On Sunday we did church from home and Brooke’s primary even did a zoom altogether so they could see each other.

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My parents did a drive-by.   I miss hugging them.

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And I was really missing our big Sunday family dinners that we used to do so I made my mom’s roast so our Sunday would feel a little bit more normal.  Roast + carrots + potatoes + onions with a can of mushroom soup and a packet of Lipton onion soup mix on top cooked in the crockpot on low for 6-8 hours.  It’s not pretty looking but it is one of my favorite comfort foods.

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Caramel corn for dessert!

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Andrew ordered and picked up some new members of our family last week.  We now have chicks!  We won’t be getting any eggs from them for 6-8 months but these little ones are really helping our kids mentally right now.  They just watch them and love them so much already (and gently pet them a few times a day and washing their hands with soap before and after:).

Animals provide amazing therapy.  Just hearing their chirps throughout the day puts me in a better mood.  PS they are kept VERY far away from Beretta at all times and Andrew will be building a very high security coop (to keep them safe from raccoons/Beretta) soon for them when they are a little bit bigger:)

We’ve just felt lately that we need to be a little bit more self-reliant due to this virus but also because of the earthquake that we had 1.5 weeks ago.  The kids helping us take care of these chicks and gardening is going to be a win for everyone over here.   PS previous owners of our home were very into gardening which I’m grateful for because it is making it much easier for us to start with beds and a sunroom ready for us.

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They might be the cutest little things I’ve ever seen.

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Anybody else have chickens? Who has an animal that is helping them through this tough time?

What was the last treat that you ate?  Have you been baking more than normal lately?

What was the best part of your weekend?!

Last time you were on the treadmill?  Are you able to run outside where you are at?

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62 comments

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2 of my close friends got puppies this past week.
Baking, and desserts……..yes, definitely has increased.
Have a great Monday, friend.

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PUPPIES…. that is something the kids are really wanting right now too since we are always home, it might not be a bad idea. Keep enjoying the baking, I bet Hope is loving that too. Thank you Erica!

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We’ve actually been thinking about getting some chickens! That’s so cool you actually did! I totally agree with you on being self reliant. My dad is currently quarantined alone in California because my step-mom is in a different state trying to finish up renovations on a house they were supposed to be moving into (which obviously is put on hold), but he’s been living off of produce from their garden and pantry staples and is loving it. He hasn’t had to go to the store once in three weeks. We’re pretty prepared for disasters with a couples week’s supply of food–but no produce, eggs, etc. That’s our next step. Keep us posted on the chickens!! :)

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That is SO cool that your dad is doing so well with his garden right now (and I hope he is reunited with his wife soon). I will totally keep you posted and I hope you get some chickens too, we are loving them so much! Have a great day Mollie!

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One of the highlights of working from home is always having a dog to pet!

Since we are stuck at home for the foreseeable future and DD16 is really interested in growing food, I ordered a raised bed kit from Amazon. She wants to plant tomatoes, and I love eating them, so it’s a win/win situation. I watched this YouTube video- it has some good ideas (and the guy’s accent is amazing!) https://youtu.be/PzP6eq2_3XE

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SO glad you have a dog and I bet your pup is loving all of this time at home too. Let me know how the raised bed kit goes, that’s so exciting. I cannot wait for garden tomatoes… nothing is better! Thank you for the video… I’ll watch the whole thing tonight with Andrew! His tomatoes made me drool though ha and his accent is awesome. Have a great day!

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We have chickens and ducks. My daughter has about 20 hens and rooster. (We live in the country) Farm fresh eggs are the best.
Our winters can be brutal so I do a lot of running and hiking on my treadmill. I do my speed work on it. I love the programmed iFit workouts especially for hikes.

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Aaawww… The baby chickens are so cute! 2 of my neighbors have chickens, and I do have to say that they give the best eggs! I’m lucky to be able to take care of my one neighbor’s chickens when they travel over the summers. Each one (they have 6) has a different personality, and are so fun to watch.
I just made chocolate chip cookies again yesterday, and that definitely made the boys happy.
The last time I was on a treadmill was about 3 weeks ago, at my gym. My gym has been officially closed for 2 weeks…. I miss it! Especially the pilates and yoga classes I was going to. We’re still able to run outside, but the city has closed all the parks and the parking lots by the trails to help stop large crowds from gathering. Sad, weird, strange times.
Our spring break is over, so everyone will be back to school and our new “normal” routines.
Thank you for spreading some positivity each day ?

Oh…. That pizza we ordered on Saturday night did taste amazing! It was a nice treat for all of us, and the restaurant owners were so grateful!

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Hey Wendy! This makes me so happy, I cannot wait for these fresh eggs. I can’t wait to see all of their personalities come to life too! I bet your boys were thrilled about the cookies. I bet it is so hard to see your favorite trails closed. I feel like each day it feels weirder and weirder. Good luck getting into your new normal. SO glad that the pizza was amazing, maybe this needs to be a weekly tradition for you guys. Thanks Wendy!

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Heidi! Oh that is so cool! Our kids want some ducks too (hence why Knox named his chicken ‘Ducky) and 20 hens and a rooster… that is awesome. I can’t wait for those fresh eggs. SO glad you have a great treadmill during your harsh winters. I want to try one of the hike workouts. Have a beautiful day!

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The chicks are so cute!! What a great idea!

I have been baking way more lately! This weekend I made banana muffins with Kodiak pancake mix.

I don’t have a treadmill at home, so all my runs have been outside. The trails/parks here kept getting really busy, so they shut those down. But I’ve been running around my neighborhood/town and I go early in the morning to avoid too many people- it’s been amazing to get outside and get in more miles than usual!

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Thanks Mariah, we are so excited! BANAN MUFFINS WITH KODIAK PANCAKE MIX… how have I not tried this yet. Off to find the recipe, thank you. I’m so glad you are able to get out and get in your miles still! Thanks Mariah!

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We had rain all Saturday too! I actually did my long run in a downpour and a guy pumping gas as I ran by yelled at me what was I doing. I explained I was training for a cancelled marathon hahah

We are moving to a more rural area in a few months and I’d love to have chickens! I will follow and see how your experience goes ?

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Hahah I bet that conversation between you two sure sounded funny! Way to get out in the rain… running in the rain + sweat brings even more healing. YES, I’ll keep you updated with our chickens and I hope you get some too. Good luck with the move and keep me updated Sara!

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So much baking going on over here! We attempted French macrons last week and they turned out so good. There has also been muffins, unicorn cakes, and cookies. Crepes are on the menu for this week after all of your pictures!

I wish we could have chickens but its not allowed in our city. Our dog is definitely helping us through this time. He is a great cuddler and loves his walks so it forces us outside. I haven’t been on a treadmill since right before social distancing was announced. We don’t have one at home and the gyms are closed but luckily I have been able to get outside to run.

Best part of my weekend was seeing that a neighbor who had a preemie four months ago gets to bring her home from the hospital today! We are lining the street into our neighborhood (6 ft apart of course) to welcome Baby Olivia home today!

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French Macaroons…. okay, I need to come over to your house to try all of the amazingness you guys are making. So happy that you have your dog, these animals sure help us a lot in the good and the hard times. SO excited for your neighbor and Baby Olivia. I bet they are so ready to be home and that is so sweet what your street is doing. Keep enjoying those outside miles Corrinne!

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You are living my dream life with those chickens! Our current HOA and town are opposed to chickens ☹️ but someday…My sister has chickens (and goats) and it is so fun to see her chickens when we visit.
I haven’t been on a treadmill in weeks since we dropped our gym membership, and then gyms closed a few days later. I am missing it big time because I just want perfect running weather at the exact hour that I am able to run each day and that’s just not realistic. First world problems, right? I’ve been running outside and doing free peloton workouts to stay active. And I am totally baking more!

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Those chicks are so adorable!! Just looking at them gave me all the feels. Hang in there Janae. This too shall pass and we will all hopefully gain a deeper appreciation for the stuff we tend to take for granted. Some good will come from these trying times.

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Thank you Kimberly and you are SO so right. I think this has changed us all for the better! Hope you have a beautiful day:)

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Ali, I hope someday that you are able to get chickens! So cool that your sis also has a goat (Andrew wants one so bad). SO glad you are able to still say so active and don’t forget… bad weather is hard right now! The bad weather last week was really hard for me! SO happy you are getting in those awesome peloton workouts, I want to try those and I hope you get some perfect weather for your runs soon!

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I know you’ve posted it before but what spin bike do you have? I’m thinking it’s time that I break down and buy one! Thanks!

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Hey Amanda! I have this one: https://amzn.to/2wQ16c1
I’ve loved it for a very long time and Andrew is on it a few times a week right now. Let me know if you get it and what you think! I’ve heard Peloton is giving out free workouts right now so that would be fun! Have a great day!

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My mom’s pot roast recipe is exactly the same! Now I need to make it – yum! Best part of the weekend was the weather, highs in the 80s! So nice to be able to get outside in the neighborhood for walks even if we can’t “go” anywhere. I’m recovering from endometriosis surgery so no running for me right now. It’s tough! 3 more weeks to go!

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Oh that makes me so happy that their roast recipe is the same. YAY for great weather and I hope these next three weeks go by quickly as you recover and get back to running. You are amazing Rachel!

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Amazing! Having chickens is such a great idea, especially these days. I really want to get into gardening this summer. For now I’m going to start in my kitchen haha I’m curious to see if I can get this to work? https://food52.com/blog/13057-use-regrow-repeat-4-vegetables-that-regrow-in-one-week
And I agree, animals are absolutely the best therapy! I miss having a dog so so much. Adopting one will be my FIRST order of business as soon as I am able to move and get settled with my new job.
I have never done so much baking in my life. I made these brookies last night with my sister and then we watched The Greatest Showman and cried. I forgot how amazing that movie is!
They are delicious if you want to give them a try! (I just used regular white flour and corn starch instead of tapioca flour and they were perfect!) https://cookieandkate.com/gluten-free-double-chocolate-cookies/
Have a great Monday :)

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I had no idea that you could regrow those… let me know if you get it to work. You will have to send me a picture of the dog you adopt once you are settled. I FORGOT about Brookies (I need to make those for Brooke) and thanks for the reminder about that movie, I love it so much too! Those cookies look amazing. They are calling my name. Thanks Rachel, you too!

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Yep, i’ve been baking a lot too- bread, muffins, scones, and it’s been fun (my family is really happy too!) Last week we adopted guinea pigs! They’re so cute and loveable, and fun to watch. I live in Florida so gardening is tricky- there’s not a lot you can grow in the summer. I might try some containers on my patio though. The good thing about Florida is I can run outside every day! As long as we can run, we can deal with everything else.

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Do you have a scone recipe that you love? I’ve been really wanting to make them! AHHH congrats on your new guinea pigs, how fun! I hope that the containers work this year with your patio and keep enjoying that fresh air… you are SO right. This would be such a hard time to be injured. Have a great day!

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Just came across your blog so you’ll be seeing me around here often now :)
What treadmill do you have? I’m looking into getting one and would love recommendations!

Our taekwondo teacher just sent us a zoom link for the kids class today, it will be the first one so we’ll see how it goes. Isn’t technology amazing! I think what we are living it’s surreal but I also think that everything we can do from our homes, from ordering groceries to following a gym class online makes it a whole easier and we’re definitely lucky to have all this and we shouldn’t forget to be grateful about it.

Talk soon Janae! I’ll be reading some old entries of your blog :)

Greetings from Mexico.

Lucia.

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HEY LUCIA!! I am so glad we get to connect now. You’ll have to let me know how things are going for you all in Mexico right now. SO cool that the taekwondo teacher is doing that. We really are so lucky to still stay so connected during this time, thanks for that reminder! I have the Nordictrack x22i! Thanks for saying hi and keep in touch!

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Those chicks are so cute! I grew up growing a lot of our own food etc but I was never really into gardening or fishing etc etc. So my parents always said I should focus on getting good grades and go to college and get a good paying job so I wouldn’t have to worry about it. Yeah… so that worked out so well ??? (hoping my laughing emojis stay for the comments)
Maybe when this ends I’ll save for a house and put some of those remembered skills to use.

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Hahaha it has definitely working out for you very well! Oh and the emojis worked:) I hope your day is a beautiful one.

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Those chicks are precious! What a cool thing to do right now (well, cool at anytime . . . but especially nice now!). No chicks for us but I love having my dog around.

Brooke’s face is adorable when she’s Zooming (is that a verb?) with her class! Thank goodness for video chatting.

I went for a run this weekend in the pouring rain–it was supposed to storm the rest of the weekend, so I had to get my run in then. And, of course, the next morning it didn’t rain AT ALL! Oh well–I’m still really glad I did it, and it felt like a great accomplishment. Um, do treats count as treats if you’re having them every day right now? Part of me feels I should cut back, and the other part of me . . . eh.

Question for you–do you have any tips to increase stride rate? That’s something I’m working on right now! I also loved your sentence, “Sweat is healing”–I want that on a shirt!

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Thanks so much Kristin and I am so happy you have your dog with you! Hahah Zomming is definitely a word (and now I’m going to copy you with that). Hahah they definitely still count as treats right now because I think we are all having them daily now. So glad you got a run in this weekend and I bet the pouring rain felt so cleansing!

That is a great question! My coach is a big believer in downhill speed work to help with this problem and over the year last year it really did help mine. I have also found metronome apps that help me know when I should foot strike and this post has some awesome ideas: https://trainwithmarc.com/2019/07/17/increasing-stride-rate/

Keep me updated with how this goes for you! I would definitely do this slowly and over time because any big changes in what we are doing can lead to injury! Thanks Kristin, have a beautiful day!

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Hi Janae! The chicks are such a wonderful idea! I’m so excited to see how your experience with them will be. I definitely schedule treats for myself now, most of the time it’s something small like dried fruit. I usually love baking but I’m home by myself and don’t think it’s a good idea to make a full batch of cookies … Happy Monday!

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Thanks so much Amy and you too! Well, I just need to send you some of the cookies from what we are making.

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Please give a play by play on how you kept the kids entertained all day!! All my boys want to do is wrestle and it’s exhausting! Ha!
Those baby chicks are ADORABLE! How is Beretta with them?
I HAVE been baking a ton more and if I don’t stop I’ll be paying for it! Lol! That leads me to my last treat, white and semi-sweet choc chip cookies! So good!
I think one of the best parts was all the cleaning I had time and energy for! We’ve been using our garage as storage so it felt great to tackle that and find a bunch of outdoor toys for the boys to play with!
I don’t remember the last time I was on a treadmill maybe a few months ago during a deep freeze?? I’m still running outside and I feel very lucky to be able to do so! My neighborhood has a .4 mi loop that I use because I don’t want to venture too far from my house during the stay at home order.
Have a great day!!!

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Hahaha that’s a good question… I bought a few new things that they loved (I’ll include the link), we played a ton of games, made bread, facetimed people and did a lot of reading (we allow screen time at night so after dinner we watched a movie:). It really is so hard and I think boys might be a little harder during this time! You are doing amazing. So we haven’t had Beretta near them yet ha… I’m way too nervous! Now I need some of your cookies! Way to go getting your garage organized, that is a huge project. So glad you are able to get in your miles outside and that loop sounds perfect, thanks Jenny! You too!

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And this comes today ahhh:
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I have had chickens since I was a little girl (I’m 28 now) and they make the most amazing pets, especially for children. I currently have 5 now and they lay probably lay about 3 or 4 eggs a day. They also live surprisingly long – I had a hen for about 12 years and I got her fully grown, so she was older than 12 for sure!

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Oh really!?! This makes me SO happy! Thank you for sharing and that is amazing that your hen has lived for so long. I am so excited about this and all of the fresh eggs too. Hope your Monday is a beautiful one Shelby!

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What a great idea to get chickens! My grandparents used to have chickens, and we were always allowed to fetch the eggs when we were there. Or feed them scraps of food (they really enjoyed melon rind and the seeds!). Later my parents had chickens too, but the neighbours complained about the noise because our houses in the Netherlands are so close together. If I would live in the country I would think about getting chickens. Yesterday I finally was able to buy flour, so there will be more baking. I did make banana cake last week. I can’t remember when I was on the treadmill last, I’m thankfull to be allowed to run outside. Have a great Monday!

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Eva! Oh I am so glad you were able to grow up around chickens… what fun memories at your grandparents house. SO happy you could get some flour yesterday and that banana cake sounds amazing. Keep enjoying that fresh air and thanks, you too!

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Love that you brought home some chicks! We have just 2 old hens (10 years old) now and have thoroughly enjoyed raising them. The more the kids hold them the friendlier/less scared the chickens will be. About a week after we brought the chicks home, I made the kids favorite parmesan chicken tenders for dinner. One of my daughters burst into tears and hasn’t eaten meat since. She’s 19 now.

Our cats and sweet little house bunny have been great comfort during this shelter in place.

Mostly lucky enough to run outside, but the treadmill is a lifesaver!

Last treat, Blood Orange Upside Down Cake mmmmmm. Our tree is full of oranges right now. We have been baking more than normal!

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SO good to hear about holding them… they told Andrew to wait a few days and Brooke is so eager to hold them so I think we will start today! Oh I bet that will be a tender subject for Brooke too, thanks fo warning me. SO happy you are able to run outside right now and can I come grab some of those oranges… they sound amazing!

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haha I was talking to a few friends last night through Zoom and she was just saying how so many people are buying chickens right now! In Denver and the surrounding counties, you are allowed to have chickens and other animals, so when out for a walk i hear chickens all the time. One house even has two goats! We moved a mile and a half a few years ago, but one house that I always walked near when taking my dog out, had a little farm stand and would put out their extras for free and sometimes I got a few of their eggs too! I’m curious how raising chicks go for you guys!!
I have a dog and I take her on walks every morning. She had surgery 5 weeks ago to repair a torn ligament, so our walks aren’t super long, but they are getting longer. Her first 2 weeks we didn’t go out on walks at all and I realized I needed the walks just as much as she did!
We’ve been doing lots of family runs and walks, which has been really nice!
We have an almost 2 year old, so unlike most people, I’m finding that I have less time since I’m now using my time after she goes to bed to catch up on work that I wasn’t able to complete during the work day, so I feel like I’m always playing catch up right now.

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Oh I bet a ton of people are getting chicks right now. Andrew wants some goats too! That is so cool that one of the homes had a farm stand… we will absolutely be copying that idea! My neighbors will love that. I’m so glad your dog is recovering well from surgery and those walks together are so needed for everyone involved. Keep enjoying those family runs/walks. YOU ARE BUSIER than ever right now. Good luck and I hope your new normal works better and better for everyone. Thanks Kathy!

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We have chickens, we don’t have our chicks for the year yet, but the kids are waiting! We have 2 outdoor cats–but one of them has been getting quite a bit of indoor time lately;-).

Do you have a coop for your chickens yet? I love getting eggs from our chickens. The only bad part is when a fox, weasel or possum comes and gets our chickens.

I have been spending less time on the treadmilll since the roads are clear and our schedule is more flexible (I can sleep in since I am not working!) Plus, I am trying to keep our electricity bill down. I do notice the treadmill is much easier on the joints so I might need to sneak in a run here and there.

We make that same roast recipe!

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Oh yay! Send me a picture when you get the chicks for the year. We don’t have a coop yet, Andrew is thoroughly researching what we need. Oh I am scared about other animals coming in for them (we have cougars here so that really worries me)! I am so glad you are able to get more time on the roads and your electricity bill is down. I love that so many of us have the same roast recipe, it is the best comfort meal. Thanks Becky and have a great day!

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Congrats on the new babies! They sure are cute :)

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Thank you! We are loving them:) I hope you have a fabulous Monday, Betsy!

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We got chicks a four years ago as an experiment (I wasn’t sure if it would be too much work to own chickens), but we love them! One of my favorite things about them, besides getting fresh eggs, is that they love to eat just about anything, so I feel like we’re not so wasteful and throwing food away if we can’t eat all of it–especially produce that gets a little old in our fridge. Our dog killed one of our chicks when it became a “teenager” chicken, but once our chickens were full grown, our dog has gotten used to them and doesn’t bother them.

Something that our kids thought was hilarious you should try when yours are bigger: feed them strands of cooked spaggetti! Kind of gross–but some summers we would trap cockroaches and crickets and feed them to the chickens, too–they LOVE them.

I have an iFit treadmill, and since our trip to Hawaii in May was canceled, I’ve been doing all the Hawaii programs!

Your kids will have many great memories of this time! :)

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Michelle, this makes me SO happy! I am so excited to hear about how well your life with chickens is going. I sure hope Beretta gets used to them too. Oh I cannot wait for the kids to be able to feed them all of these things.
So sorry about your trip being cancelled and hope you are able to go once this is all cleared up… keep enjoying those Hawaii scenes on your treadmill. Thanks Michelle and I totally agree, it’s already so fun to see their journal entries during this time! Have a great day!

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I have really been wanting to bake, but am trying not to. With just the two of us, it’s not a good idea! Plus we’ve been sticking with 1 dessert a week this year and don’t want to fall off the wagon. I picked up a single piece of cake from Smart & Final on Friday and it was so good.

Our weather was awesome this weekend! I rode 20 miles on Saturday.

No treadmill here, but we’ve been able to be outside plenty. I rode my mountain bike today – it’s a completely different experience, but the trail was in great shape.

Have a great week, Janae!

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Cake sounds so good right now! So glad you got to enjoy that this week and a beautiful 20 mile bike ride. So happy you got in some mountain biking too, Andrew is counting down the minutes for the weather to be better so he can go. Thanks Kathy, you too!

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Love this!! We just started a garden for the first time ever as well and my fiance was just talking about building a chicken coop last night! Funny how this virus is helping facilitate these things. Having a garden is something I’ve wanted to do for years but never had the time or the energy or the million other excuses I had. I completely agree that we would love to be a little more self-reliant. I think this virus is here for a reason. It’s getting us back to basics and it’s actually SUPPORTING and nourishing the earth rather than the opposite. So many positives I see :) Have a lovely day, you’re doing great!

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Those little chicks are so cute! What is it about baby chicks that makes hearts melt-their fuzzy little head and sweet chirps are tooooo cute!!!

As I write, I am having a mix of chocolate chips and PB chips. We got low on proper dessert snacks and in desperate times, one does desperate measures. Of course I wish they were embedded in a cookie but I’m not going to get picky on this.

We can run outside solo or with immediate family. My 15 year old son has taken to running during our lunchbreak (virtual school for him, virtual school nursing for me). We are both exhausted but ever so grateful to have a home and food to feel safe with.

Best part of the weekend was taking part in a virtual running retreat! It was awesome!

Anyone else with a teenager who feels like all the pantry items are flying off the shelf and into the mouth of said teenager. I swear everytime I turn around or we meet at the water cooler he’s hungry or grabbing/making something.

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Oh, I love chickens! I showed them for 10 years in 4-H when I was younger. Your family is going to love having chicks!

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I love that you got chickens!! We’ve had backyard chickens in CO for 11 years now! They are truly fun animals to have around and the eggs are great too. For some reason, ours just love stale corn chips, a fact we have used many times to lure them back to the coop or back to the yard when they occasionally get out….all we have to do is crinkle the bag and they come running. Honestly, if you’re ever in a bad mood and a chicken comes running across the yard at you, you just can’t help but smile and laugh. They look so funny! I hope you and your kids enjoy them immensely!!

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We have chickens! It’s been a great learning experience, ours are now about 10 months old. We started getting eggs in the dead of winter which was very hope inspiring. I read just about every book from the library about chicken care ?

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I don’t have chickens but my neighbor does- he always walks them down the street which is funny to watch! I have a dog who has been the best therapy during this time :)

Best things from this weekend was having a virtual dinner with my family- we started a sunday tradition during quarantine and I think we’ll continue it in person when we’re able to! It’s been giving me something to look forward to every week!

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I had chickens until recently (moved from AK to lower 48) and loved them so much. It was actually heart breaking having to give them to a friend when we moved. They were relatively easy to care for, ate all the leftover food/scraps which helped for waste, and bonus we got eggs. It’s definitely good to go into it wanting them as pets vs. egg producers, because they naturally take (long) breaks in egg production in the fall when they molt and in the winter where you may only get a few eggs a week. You can “force” them to lay by producing 14 hours of artificial light a day but then you’ll only have strong egg producers for a couple of years. I lit the coop for mine a little more in sync with natural light and would still get eggs from my 5 year old chickens (albeit randomly). Some people get new chickens every couple of years in order to have consistent egg producers and replace “free-loaders.” Mine were definitely pets first, egg producers second so I wasn’t disappointed if I didn’t get the eggs that I was expecting. That being said, you’ll definitely have eggs to sell or give away with that many babies for the first year or two!

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What measurements did you use for the beef roast?! It looks delicious! Making this weekend!!!

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