My Chicken Coop

I have received several e-mails about my new coop and where I bought it so I thought I would do a post so that I can answer questions about it all in one place.
I ordered this coop from Amazon.com. I also saw it on Ebay. The box said it was an Aosom Chicken Coop and I think it was made in China. It seems to hold the four girls fine but they do roam the yard twice a day and have the other coop and run they spend mid day in. As for quality, some say you should only build your own but my hubby was over it and just wanted something simple to put together. Took him less than an hour.

Now we live in Southern California. Our yard is wind protected and we don't have freezing temps. I do think we will build a little cover for the rainy season but we don't have summer rains and that can wait.

As for quality, it arrived all in good shape. No broken pieces. The one metal latch on the door seems a little cheaply made but that is an easy change out when needed. I was not looking for Fort Knox and don't have to keep coyotes or bears out at night. We did make one modification and that was the little screened door up on the house. It was solid and hubby just slid the slats out and replaced with screening for more ventilation. The coop has two laying boxes in the back and you can lift the little lid to collect eggs. This seems to be a great fit for our situation. So far I am very happy with it. Just wanted to pass on the info for those that have been asking me about the coop and where I bought it.

Linking to:
Savvy Southern Style
Cowgirl Up
Frugal Days
Wicked Awesome Wednesday
Fishtail Cottage
Sat. Night Special

Morning

I absolutely love being at home. Getting up everyday and tending the animals is a chore I enjoy. I am an early riser and usually am up around 6:00. I make myself some coffee and sit down and turn the computer on and watch my Stu Varney.

Thought I would take you on a tour of my morning chores. Promptly at 7:00 am I head out so let the chickens out of their house so they can eat and drink. They greet me with soft clucks and I love it.

They all noisily head down the ramp to the food and water.

I sit down for more pc time and coffee and wait for the dogs to rise. They are more lazy and sleep in.

They go out for a wee and then come in and beg for a cookie. Here is the biggest beggar you have ever seen. Already licking her chops.

My big girl Sandy is more patient. Lola is a blur until she gets her cookie.

 At the feed store I buy them in bulk. Little ones for Lola and bid ones for Sandy.

The kitties are even more lazy and sleep in much later. I finally shew them out to go potty. But of course my favorite morning greeting comes from lil' Miss Sunshine. Always the biggest snuggle and kiss when she gets up except for the other morning when she told me that when I breathed on her it was "terrifying." 

Stinker.

Love to watch the girls while I have my coffee and computer time.

Linking to:
Return to Loveliness

Sunflowers and a Thank You

These are some of my sunflowers from the front yard. The horrid offenders my neighbor hates. But rather than have her scoff and them leaning over the fence, I cut a bunch of them to enjoyed by us. I think they are my favorite summer cut flower.

In the morning with the sun shining brightly.

In the afternoon. What could be prettier. Some of the already developed seed heads went to the chickens.

Thank you all so much for taking the time to join the party yesterday. It meant so much to see so many of my friends join and to meet some new ones. Thank you so very much!! Also the party is still open here if you'd like to join in. I will do the drawing at the end of the week.

Linking:
Heart and Home
BNOTP
Making the World Cuter
Coastal Charm
TableTop Tuesday
Cozy Home Scenes
Wow Us Wed.

Welcome to Sunny Simple Sundays

Welcome to Sunny Simple Sundays. 

First remember that hanging basket that I could not figure out what to put in? If you leave something empty for a while in this house a certain someone decorates it for you. This is what Mr. Sunny has gathered in there.

Okay now for the party. I am keeping this simple. Just join up your blog post, giveaway or whatever. Just keep if family friendly. You can be a follower of this blog if you'd like. No worries.

If you haven't joined one before then just go to the post on your blog you want to use and click on the title. It will give you the URL of it and copy that. When you click on the box to join the party it will give you the prompt and just enter that URL and it will guide you through the rest. That's it. E-mail me if you have any other questions about linking up.

Thank you so much and have a wonderful SUNDAY!! 

 I will choose one person from the party and send them something cute I picked up at the bookstore yesterday. That's it. Can't wait to see what you all have to share.

Okay I can see I did something wrong and it is linking just the name of your blog and not a picture so I will have to work on that for next week. Thanks so much for joining though. I really appreciate it.

Linking to:

Met Monday

Barnyard

What are you up to this Saturday? Hubby and I are heading to breakfast ALONE at our favorite restaurant for breakfast food of course.

Then it is off to Home Depot for a few things to finish up the new coop.

Noticed a farm theme growing in the house. Mr. Sunny decorator gathered up some farmy things in my little cabinet. The cow bell on top was from my dad's farm when he was a boy.

Chickens of course.

Here are the girls right now. As I am having coffee at my new computer space, the chickens always come up and peck my window.

Crazy animal antics. This cat loves to lay upon my sleeping daughter. He is the king of his castle.

This is a favorite breakfast lately. Eggs in a basket or something like that. I cut a whole in the bread, butter the pan well and drop the bread in and crack an egg in the center. Cook for a few minutes and then turn over with a little more butter. Mmm morning sunshine.

Have a wonderful weekend and don't forget to join me tomorrow morning for Sunny Simple Sundays. Let's hope this newb can get the party started without a hitch. If you haven't joined a blog link party I will put some simple directions up for you. Fewest steps as possible is what I am after.

Linking to:

Sunday Blog Love

Making the Most of a Small Backyard

We have a small backyard. I mean it is more than a patio but not much. An addition to this house decreased the yard a great deal but we have made the most of the space.

We knew from the beginning we wanted a large patio for entertaining. Literally half the yard became patio and a fire pit with built in seating. One entire side of the patio is the side of our garage so through potted vines and flowers and a fountain we have turned the big ugly wall into an attractive focal point.

We have three tables and a playhouse on the patio and still have room to move around and add chairs for seating.

My advice is to go big for your seating area. Grass is over rated and it is nice to have a lot of seating space for parties. The built in fire pit can easily seat ten and the ring itself offers additional seating when not in use.

You can still have a play area for the kids but choose the right sized equipment. You may want a swing set with all the bells and whistles but if it is too big then it will look and feel cramped. We chose the smallest wooden swing set available from Walmart and it has been great fun and left us with some yard to play on.

We have kept all trees along the perimeter to make mowing easier and to keep the play space open for the kids.

Living in Southern California this is really an extra room for us. I would say I spend at least two to three hours a day out here not counting the meals we eat out here on the weekends.
Our patio is set with literally a mish mash of tables and chairs my mother in law has passed on to us. Nothing fancy as we are hard on things around here with all the kids and animals. You often find a cat or dog curled up on the patio furniture napping in the sun.

Don't forget to join me Sunday for my first party. Sunny Simple Sundays. 

Linking to:
Show and Tell Friday
Simple Creations
Frugal Friday
Saturday Show Off
Diane Writes
Seasonal Sundays
Summer Fun Party

It's Party Time at Sunny Simple Sundays

I love a party and I love blog parties even more so I have decided to host my very own. 

Your are cordially invited to join me each Sunday for SUNNY SIMPLE SUNDAYS.

Where: Sunny Simple Life

When: Each and every Sunday

So please join my blog linky party this Sunday and help me kick it off right. And as is my motto, SIMPLE

will be the rule. Just post whatever you have been up to or share your latest post or just a nice link to your blog. I am making this simple. Come in your jammies if you'd like. I will have the coffee on.

See you SUNDAY!!

Linking to:
Show and Tell Friday

A New House on the Block

Okay first off let's establish that these are some spoiled chickens or I am a spoiled wife or both or my husband has gone insane. Any old ways in this continuing journey into chickendom I have decided I hate the coop behind the garage I have known this for a while. I mean it is a great space and all but unless the chickens were out in the yard I could not see them whatsoever. I want to SEE them. Enjoy them. They are more pet and hobby than anything else and I want to enjoy watching them and I hated going behind there at night if it was dark. So I mentioned this issue to the fore mentioned insane husband, driven there of course by his wacko crazy chicken loving wife.

So I heard the words....

"Honey get what makes you happy."

Uh-Uh what?

"Just don't make me build anything else!!"

Okay babe.

So this is what I ordered.

Ain't it the cutest?

It is perfect and took only 45 minutes to put together. The little house has a roost for them and two laying boxes out back. The perfect height for Q to check for eggs.

It is only where they sleep at night and in the morning I let them out to munch and scratch below. The space is small so they come out into the yard for their morning work and then they head over to their old coop to spend the day and in the early evening we let them out to come back to the yard and they take themselves right into the little house for the evenings. I can see them in there and I enjoy this so much better. Of course hubby already has plans to extend the run on the bottom so they have more space. He is insane but he knows how to make a chicken happy and a crazy chicken wife too.

I love how it matches the swing set. This weekend it is getting a good coating of weather sealer but we don't get summer rains and in the fall hubs will put a little awning over it .

Linking to:
Delightful Order
Share Your Cup Thursday
Feathered Nest Friday
Common Ground
Show and Tell Friday
The Charm of Home
Simple Home Life
Passion Parade Friday
Funky Junk Interiors
Met Monday

Simple Deviled Eggs

At one of our parties in May I decided to make deviled eggs to serve. Now, I serve them all the time in summer but usually I make them just for us. I have to say I was astounded at how popular they were. MEN especially just loved them and gobbled them down. Does no one make deviled eggs any longer? One of our friends couldn't leave them alone and commented how it had been years since he had them. Simple delicious American fare.

There are so many ways to make fancy deviled eggs but my family prefers this basic recipe.

I never measure so the amounts are a guess. Just keep tasting. Mmmm.

Simple Deviled Eggs
Hard boil and cool a dozen eggs. When cooled peel and carefelly halve them scooping the yolks into a bow. Mash all the yolks with a fork. Add about 2 generous tablespoons of mayo (maybe more) and a generous scoop of Dijon mustard. Mix until creamy and smooth. Taste to see if you are happy. Top each with a light sprinkle of paprika.


Open House Party
Seven Thirty Three

Frugal Challenge - Feeding Your Family On Less

Let me start this post with this. Every morning I get up and make a cup of coffee, turn on the computer and watch Stu Varney on Fox Business News. My favorite show. I am a nerd I know. But what I do follow closely is the economy and let me also say this, folks we are not only heading for another recession, I don't believe we ever came out of the last one. What "recovery" there was, was so weak, that most of us are not better off than we were last year or the year before but either stagnant if you are lucky or doing worse.

I do not foresee improvement for a very long time, if ever. This is perhaps the new America. Let's all hope I am completely off the mark but I suspect I am not. BUT for my kids sake, I hope there are brighter days ahead. That all being said, whew, I am taking some of the summer months to double down on money saving areas in our house. 

First off is food. It is a huge expense in this house. We feed five adults and one little one.

I must keep focused on spending as little as possible to feed us while making meals, nutritious and satsifying.

One area of our food budget that will be watched carefully is meals out. We usually pick up dinner lately once a week but I would like to cut that to once every two weeks. The urge to pick up meals comes on days when I am busy or don't have a plan. I am making sure the pantry is stocked with easy homemade fast 

food. One favorite is make your own nachos. I cook up some ground turkey, open up some beans and dice up and set out whatever might taste good on nachos. Everyone makes their own and clean up is easy.

Even Q loves nacho night. We will have it at least once or twice a month to save on running out for take out.

Using up every last bit of food. If we cannot possibly eat it, then the chickens may get it but with things like odd slices of bread and buns in your bread box, why not make garlic toast out of it? My family loves when I do this. Great filler too when extra guests decide to have dinner with us.

Eat as much as we can out of our own garden. I have been replanting square foot areas from seed every two weeks so we always have a supply of extra salad fixins or veggies for dinner. That has been one of my goals this year and I have stayed committed to always have new plantings in as soon as something else comes out.

Oh how I love a Starbucks run but I am saving that for special treats with hubby on the weekends. It is just so spendy to pick up a coffee there. My replacement coffee maker has come so I am back in business with the Keurig. Love it!! I may treat myself to some tasty creamers as a bottle spent on that with a coupon lasts a while and makes the morning cup extra yummy. Less temptation to run into the coffee shops.

Don't forget to check out this post for a chance to win the Venus $50 VISA gift card.

Wow Us Wed.
Raising Homemakers
Frugally Sustainable
Handy Man Crafty Woman

Glads!!

My sister in law gifted me with these gorgeous gladiolas. In red of course as she knows how I love anything red.

I did not edit the color at all. That is how vibrant these flowers were. So gorgeous. I would love to grow some glads. All gardens used to have them but you don't see them as much these days. Is it too late to plant gladiola bulbs this year?

Tuna Noodle Mac Salad

You know it is summer in our house when mom starts making what we call "tuna mac." Everyone including hubby loves this simple dish and when it is hot outside, I will make this early in the day to keep the kitchen cool in the evening. It is good alone for supper with some cut up fruit or as a side dish to BLT's or whatever floats your boat. My mother made this my entire life so I have been eating it for 40 some years.

Tuna Mac
1/2 pound noodles
2 cans of tuna drained
3 stalks of celery chopped
some chopped green onion or chives. I use chives as I always have them growing.
3 hard boiled eggs chopped
1 bell pepper diced
splash of dill pickle juice
2 tablespoons of dill relish or chopped pickles
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 sour cream (adjust the mayo and sour cream to your liking)
salt and pepper

Boil the noodles. Rinse and drain. Add all other ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate for at least several hours and enjoy.

Linking to:
Lower Case Letters
More the Merrier
BNOTP
Morris Tribe
Table Top Tuesday
Heart and Home
Bowl full of Lemons
Wow Us Wed.

So Proud of My Girl! Raising a Strong Willed Child

On Thursday night we attended an award's dinner for this girl. Our #1. First born. Oldest.
She is graduating next week but the ceremony was for an award for top of her class in registered nursing. I already told you all that but I just wanted to do a post for her. Sweetie dad and I are so proud of you. You have worked so hard. Youngest ever to be admitted to the program, never taking a semester or break off. You pushed yourself hard and it has shown. Always carrying a full load at the hospital, volunteering and working sometimes two jobs while keeping those grades high. You are awesome. We love you and are so over the moon for your future. We know you will succeed no matter where you land.

Here is this girl her first day of clinical in her stiff blue scrubs. So cute. I think people thought some kid was going to be working on them at the hospital.

This girl was the typical first born. In charge and bossy from day one. She was so head strong and strong willed, that I often wondered what kind of trouble she would be getting into when she grew up. It really worried me. Take a strong willed child and a strong willed mother and you can imagine the battles we had. I was far from the perfect mother with her and just did not know what to do with her sometimes. Her first year of homeschooling, she was always sent to her room for refusing to do her work. Well looking back I would have done a lot of things different but she was my first born and what did I know.

I remember driving to work one day and hearing Dr. Dobson speak on the radio about "The Strong Willed Child." I had a glimmer of hope. He said that often the strong willed child, with good raisin', would turn out to be strong willed for the right things when they grew up. Well ,I am here to tell you, if you have one too, that this is so true. Forever the champion of the underdog, this girl has been such a blessing. When my mother was dying of cancer ten years ago, and you know what that does to a person, she never shied away from her. She was always there for my mom comforting her. She has paved her own way. If she wanted something, she went for it. Never afraid to confront a professor or take on what would make most of us cry. She is indeed strong. She is named after my mother, the strongest woman I know.

Thankfully she has always been a daddy's girl and he has settled many a dispute between us strong willed gals. I always defer to him when we have needed to make decisions for her future. He has been the perfect balance in our parenting.

She is my pride and joy and I just wanted her to know how much we love her and are so very excited for her future. Nursing is not an easy major and she has witnessed some things that I would crumble over but she has found her niche and her strength will be used for good and the health care field will be lucky to have her. I have a new found respect for nurses. Often they are the line between life and death for many patients. I have heard this from my daughter many a time as she has done her clinicals. They are the advocate for the patient who cannot fight for themselves. Congrats baby. Make is so #1.

Linking to:
Time Warp Wife
Raising Homemakers
Frugally Sustainable

Days Spent in the Sunshine

We have had some wonderfully warm days this past week. Q has spent them in her swimsuit and paddling pool while chickens run amok.

Children are so funny. She is not in the least bit afraid of them. They follow her all the time because she is the bearer of snacks. Here she is sharing some tortilla with them. The little dog is hoping someone drops something.

The chickens have finally become brave enough to venture into the planters and scratch around in there. Petunias though are a favorite.

An evening run to get a smoothie and checking on the veggie garden.

I save seeds from all my flowers and these surprised me in the veggie garden. I bet some little one planted them.

Our first basket full was sort of sparse but I sauteed the baby zukes with the blue kale. So good.

After dinner the girls headed out back.

Blowing bubbles with big sis.

I love these days of more unstructured time. A swim at the grandparents or a trip for frozen yogurt. Just simple ways to beat the heat. What's your favorite summer past time?