Well, I have to say April was a really crazy month for us. A lot happened. Chuck got a new job (yay), and we bought a van (undecided on how I feel about this still) to name just two.

I have so many business and blogging projects going on I can’t even keep up. It’s a really great position to be in. I’m sharing everything over on instagram, in my stories, and on my feed. Follow me to check it all out as it happens.

Also, The Blog Connect happened this past weekend, so now I’m full of new ideas that I can’t wait to implement. Pictured: me & Melissa of Wandering & Reading.

The Baby:

Last month, I mentioned that I purchased the book Good Night Sleep Tight to help with this whole not sleeping thing. I also ended up reading Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems (by Richard Ferber) and blended the two theories to come up with something that worked for us. Goodnight Sleep tight, helped us establish a routine and recognize sleep cues that made all the difference, but the Ferber method was what we used to help with nightly wake-ups, and for the most part, it has worked out well. He’s teething so we still have occasional wake-ups that require some cuddles and Tylenol. I can’t tell you how much I am loving getting some actual sleep!

Also, if you’re interested in our adventures in solid food. Check out this post on our experience with Baby-Led Weaning. I’ll be posting more updates in the future. Who knew that feeding your kids was such a stressful thing?

House & Garden Projects:

So many projects finally getting finished up! Full posts (and hopefully some videos) to come. Check out Instagram & Stories for the real-time updates. Can you tell I’m a little obsessed with Insta lately? #sorrynotsorry (is that still even a thing?)

You guys, my kitchen has painted walls! I’m so incredibly stoked for that. Now we just have to get some trim done, and hang some things and its ready for a tour! I say this like it’s easy. The trim might be one of the hardest parts, because nothing about our house is level, or even. Wish Chuck luck!

The Chickens:

The ladies have been loving getting outside in the nicer weather. There is such a difference in the eggs, you guys I had no idea! I mean I knew that free-range chickens would produce a more flavorful, darker yolked egg, but there is a direct correlation between diet and flavor, like down to the day. We’ve been keeping track, on bad weather days vs good weather days, and the difference is astounding. Not to mention size, once the snow started to melt the eggs steadily started to get bigger. I didn’t even notice how small they had gotten.

I’m working on a post about our first year of keeping chickens, with so many more of these kinds of revelations, so look for that.

The Podcast:

This episode we chatted with Kristen Donnelly (former editor of Food & Wine) about her book Modern Potluck. It’s a great cookbook that really brings potluck dishes into the modern day. We are talking way less heavy casseroles, and way more crunchy veg and unique flavors. It was a fabulous interview with so many potluck oriented gems of wisdom. Listen to it now on iTunes, or on gatheringspodcast.com.

Looking Forward:

There is some big news for the SL&G family coming soon. Keep your fingers crossed for us, and I’ll update you as soon as I can.

Stats:

Spent on Groceries in November:

$350.01 – Still doing well. Still eating a bit more vegetarian, and working on cleaning out the freezers.

The cost of Garden Supplies 2017:

$85 – This includes all of 2018. This month we bought new wood for another garden bed and pvc for a mini greenhouse.