When we opened the doors to our Freckled Hen Farmhouse shop, we knew we wanted it to be a place that inspired folks to learn new skills & invest more deeply in their homes & interests. Luke & I have been absolutely amazed by the response to our workshop series!
We are so thrilled to introduce a new workshop for spring – a fun & informative garden workshop at our farm!
You’re invited to our farm, Freckled Hen Farm, just outside of Fayetteville on Sunday, April 30th, for an afternoon of gardening!
Luke, our farmer & horticulturalist, will walk you through the basics of gardening with hands-on demonstrations & plenty of time to answer all of your exciting gardening questions.
It’s going to be such a rich afternoon of soaking up the beautiful farm while learning hands-on skills that you can bring back to your own garden & families!
Topics will include:
– Seeding & transplanting
– Soil health & amendments
– Building a garden bed
– Crop rotation & crop planning
– Mulching & weed control
– Organic pest management
You’ll spend the afternoon with Luke & (me!) Natalie in the garden for on-site demonstrations along with hands-on activities + detailed handouts with planting schedules & crop management tips.
We’re excited to also give you a tour of our hobby farm, including an overview of our free-range chickens & goats.
Just a few basics…
– The workshop will be held from 2-5pm at our farm, Freckled Hen Farm, on April 30th.
– Registration is $40 per person & spots are limited.
– This is a beginners course so no previous gardening knowledge is required.
– The workshop also includes light snacks & drinks for your enjoyment.
– Freckled Hen Farmhouse tools, seeds & supplies for the garden will also be offered so bring extra cash if you’d like to purchase Luke & Natalie’s favorite farm essentials! Enjoy 10% off with every purchase.
We so look forward to having you at our home & farm on April 30th!
love,
natalie
Friends, it is so good to be back in this space.
I took a brief break from the blog to open our brick & mortar general store. It’s been such a gift to open up that space to our dear community (thanks to so many of you who have made the trek!), but it’s a wonderful feeling to get back into a more sustainable daily rhythm. I have missed y’all! Thanks for the grace, dear readers, as we transition into this new “normal.”
With that said, grab a cup of coffee & join me as I chat about some thoughts that have been brewing for quite awhile…
With the new year motivation behind us & resolutions forgotten, I want to share one big lesson that I learned a couple of years ago.
Don’t Go It Alone.
This nugget of wisdom struck me as I was reading Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin (a wonderful read & one I’d highly recommend). Within the pages, Rubin chats about the importance of habits & how we can establish new ones once we recognize how we’re uniquely built. As I continued reading, I quickly learned that I thrive best in community.
Meaning I am able to establish healthy habits in my life when I can process within community, share my struggles, learn from others’ experiences & gain outside motivation.
Friends, this somewhat simple thought was revolutionary in so many ways & transformed how I viewed my journey.
How many of us move throughout life without a solid community to lean into?
How many of us struggle to lose weight, love our spouse well, parent with patience or build a business?
Imagine what might take place if we shared those universal struggles with folks who get it.
Once that truth sunk in, I signed up for Weight Watchers meetings (more on that soon, I promise), started attending weekly coffee dates with girlfriends & joined a private entrepreneurial Facebook group.
So perhaps you failed at accomplishing those New Years resolutions alone, but let me encourage you to take a few steps back & identify a group of people working toward the same habits/values/life goals.
Magic takes place when we lean into community, friends.
Here’s your challenge for the week – What is one step you can make this week to lean into community & work toward that big goal?
Want to read more? Sign up for a book club. Ready to lose weight? Join a weight loss group. Excited about a business idea? Set up a coffee date with an entrepreneur in your community!
Whatever it may be, Don’t Go It Alone.
love,
natalie
I get lots of comments & emails asking how I do it all, how I stay organized, how I run two businesses, how I keep our home so clean, how I love my husband well, how I make time for margaritas with girlfriends, how I stay on budget, how I run a farm & the list goes on.
The short answer – I don’t.
The better answer – You’re not alone.
Let me paint you a picture.
Earlier this week when we announced our (big! awesome! fun!) news of our brick & mortar shop opening, I was suffering from a pretty intense 48 hour stomach bug. I had intended to write our newsletter & create the event the week before, but my to-do list got the best of me & I was buried in work.
Sunday afternoon came & so did my stomach bug. I thought I could just sleep it off. Oh no, my friends, how very naive of me. Monday morning came dreadfully quick & at the crack of dawn, with my puke bucket nearby & frantic breaks for the potty, I wrote our newsletter announcing our exciting news & fell straight back into bed.
On time? Barely. With grace? I nearly died.
But here’s the thing. I did the work, you got a pretty announcement in your inbox & you had no idea what was happening behind the scenes.
Our life isn’t always as chaotic as the story above, but my point is that we all deal with our own versions of crazy. How we manage that crazy is key.
What strategies do we implement in our own lives that keep us from having to write newsletters at the crack of dawn with a puke bucket in hand?
How do we find a simpler, sustainable rhythm for our lives that gives us room to breathe & enjoy life’s goodness?
I’m not perfect. But I’ve learned a whole lot amid the crazy. Here’s a handful of tips, strategies & calls to action that I use in my own life to keep the chaos at bay. Enjoy!
1. Hire a housekeeper – I talk about this all of the time, but my housekeeper is my favorite person. It’s the best investment on our quality of life & I am just so grateful for her service to our family. Create a budget category for this expense & find a housekeeper you love. It is the best gift you can give yourself in the new year!
2. Make time for YES! – Truth be told, I am exhausted by the many books out there telling us that in order to feel less stressed, we need to say no. I believe that’s left us feeling disconnected & without community. Friends, I’d invite you to say yes. Saying yes has enriched my life in countless ways & allows me to feel a little more “me” when life feels hectic. Yes to weekly coffee with girlfriends! Yes to reading that book! Yes to movie nights with family! Yes to pie before dinner! Whatever your yes is, make time for it & watch your joy grow.
3. Sign up for services that you’ll use & will actually make your life easier – Signing up for Grove Collaborative & having our favorite home + body care products delivered right to our doorstep every month helps me feel on top of my game when I have zero energy left. Living on the farm makes it tough to go into town for a roll of toilet paper. And let’s face it, that toilet paper pack turns into the fun earrings I need for that cute, new top I found on the end cap. It’s an energy suck, a time suck, & a money suck.
Grove Collaborative keeps me focused on what we actually need within our home, saves me money & honors my time. The best part? The folks at Grove Collaborative are gifting every Natalie Creates reader a farmhouse enamelware caddy full of Mrs. Meyer’s cleaning supplies when you sign up as a new customer & place your first order! I know you’ll love & use this service just as much as our family does!
Click HERE to sign up & never run out of toilet paper again!
4. Take time to plan – I spend 1 hour every Sunday planning out the week ahead. I jot down my commitments for the week (I’m using this monthly planner this year & loving it!) & my list of priorities for each day. I also set aside time within that hour to meal plan & write out my grocery list. This hour leaves me feeling in control of what I can realistically accomplish that week & how I plan to feed my family. Try carving out a little time this Sunday afternoon to plan out your week. Let me know how it transforms your days ahead.
5. Be ok with sometimes not being ok… & ask for help! – When we’ve implemented all of our strategies, followed all the rules, hired that housekeeper, taken time to plan & we still can’t get it all together, admit your shortcomings & ask for help. This is where the grace comes in. This is where your people come in. Shoot an email & ask for a meal, a prayer or a babysitter. I cannot begin to tell you how many millions of times I’ve leaned into my precious community & they’ve shown up with paintbrushes, warm food & love. We’ve all got our own versions of crazy, but we should never expect to deal with them alone.
How do you handle the chaos? How do you manage the crazy? Share your thoughts in the comments, friends!
love,
natalie