It's official!

     February 6th. That is the day I'm picking up my 6 chicks! I've started gathering everything I'll need and even though they won't need it for weeks, I am putting the coop together the next warmer day. I am getting really excited and I already have names picked out. I have 3 Easter Eggers and 3 Buff Orpingtons! I can't wait to post some pictures of the new additions.
     Not this spring but next spring I'll start my beekeeping adventure. I have my supplies all picked out and where I'll be getting the bees from. I figure I will have my chickies well established by then and it will give me more time to learn about what I need to do to keep them healthy.
     In addition to doing what I can to help the bee population I have switched to bathroom products that don't have packaging. I'm using Lush's Honey I Washed my Hair naked shampoo bar and Big naked Conditioner bar. Also using their naked shower gel. I've ordered the toothy tabs, the mouthwash tabs, and the charcoal face bar. All packaging that is created I will recycle in my new recycling bins.

     I am making as many changes as I possibly can to help the environment. We already create so much less trash since I started really paying attention to what we consume in this house. 

     My husband got a government job and he has his last week at his current job next week. It is bittersweet, but much needed. No more 12 hour days, no more holidays, no more weekends, no more getting up at 5 AM. Plus with most of our debt gone and the extra money we are finally going to be able to get some work done on this house. This is a huge blessing for our whole family and came at the perfect time. He'll be finishing up his Master's Degree this summer and then life will be so much less hectic. I know that is going to reduce his stress level on a massive scale. 

     Well I guess that is about all the new I have for now. I'll post against once I have the chickies!

Thanksgiving /Christmas

     I wanted to try something new and make jellied cranberry sauce (the kind you slice) from scratch and can it for thanksgiving this year. Unfortunately while what I made was tasty it did not gel properly. It's more like a jam than a jelly. It was great on toast and I actually found a good use for it. I've decided to try my hand at making macaron. I'm going to make a red cookie with a ring of whipped frosting and the cranberry "jam" as the filling. Very festive and cute. Hopefully also tasty.
     I also made a caramel sauce and that did turn out pretty well. Not as smooth as I would have hoped but it looks mostly like it should and tastes great. I found a recipe for salted caramel popcorn macarons so I'll probably use it as filling for that as well as dipping apples.
   

     I'm starting my Christmas baking this week. I'm making 2 (maybe 3) kinds of macarons, sea salt vanilla caramels (which I made last year and were very popular) and peppermint patties. I will make the peppermint patties first and freeze them until Christmas because those will do well frozen. I'll make the macarons probably 2-3 days before Christmas and store them in the refrigerator. The caramels will be a day or so before. They are super quick and easy.
     I've got 95% of my Christmas shopping done, wrapped, and under the tree. What I have left to buy is gift cards and I can buy them all at Target and put them in little gift bags. We are decorating today and I can't wait until my kiddos see it. This is going to be a great Christmas.
     I will definitely have a new post next week because I'm going to a hockey game and we got a suite! It will be so much fun!