Being Thankful

 

Everyday can be a good day.

It's just how you look at.

Daily Chickens

My girls have named our chickens as you know.
Dot & the Dolly's. 
One of "the Dolly's" got an add-on to her name.
"Dolly Fuzz-Butt"Because as you can see,
she has an extra fuzzy backside.

InstaFriday

 

Today is Insta-Friday!

Where I post pictures from the week that I captured from my phone.

Little everyday tidbits that come up that aren't planned.

Also, my sweet Aunt doesn't have instagram so this way she can stay up-to-date. ♥

I like to decorate my mantle for the different holidays. 

 It makes it seem less overwhelming to only have to decorate a small space.  

And my kids think I'm the greatest even though I'm cheating with very little effort.

 Last year I was in my favorite thrift store and I found the little drummer boy above.  

Is he not perfect?  I couldn't believe my luck!  

And he was all of $2.95

The magnet board is hanging over my couch.  It holds a lot of different things throughout the year.  

I just took all the graduation announcements off and put up the 4th of July freebie from pinterest.  

If you click HERE it will take you to endless 4th of July Printables.  

The space picture was painted with spray paint by Cassidy in art class.  It's pretty amazing.

After swimming all morning on Monday we took the kids to Iceburg

 for the biggest milkshakes you have ever seen!  

Word to the wise, only order the mini or you may be in trouble. 

 I love that our family lives close and that my kids can grow up near cousins. 

Our chickens are laying everyday.

We get lucky a lot with double yokers.

on Instagram you can click on #iseefaces

and it will show the most amazing photo's that people post of random everyday things with faces.

Try it.  You will be amazed.  

I did that with this photo because I saw a face.  

You can also click HERE on your computer to get a glimpse of some good ones.

Yesterday I was catching up on some computer work and it was Just Miss Abby at home.  

So she crafted and I worked and it was a win-win.

This is what she made.

Gumball necklaces.  

She used a small screwdriver to make the holes then used a large needle to feed the ribbon through.

She made several in different colors.  My favorite was the red, white & blue.

  

Go ahead join in.  

Go post your instapics over on Life Rearranged and make some new friends while your at it.

p.s. my instagram page is private but I would love to have you follow me.  

Don't be shy.  Follow me and I'll let you in. 

The Chickens & a How to Make a Chicken Feeder

If you think raising chickens is going to be a piece of cake.....think again.

I thought it would be a walk in the park- get a cute coop, feed them, water them, no big deal.

Wrong!

However, high maintenance isn't necessarily a bad thing. 

Chickens are actually very fun.  

They each have a personality and we tend to get sucked outside for hours just watching them.

They are hilarious cheap entertainment. 

Man alive are they fun to watch.

I have found that I love to be outside working in the garden, watching the chickens and finding new ways to improve "Chick-Inn".  Our newest addition is the chickens feeder made out of PVC pipe.  Home Depot  and I have become very close friends these past few weeks while I make improvements to the yard and coop.

How to Make a Chicken Feeder:

All we did is buy one piece of 4" PVC and a PVC elbow.  We cut them to size and fit the two 4" pieces in between the elbow piece.  I have to admit that I didn't come up with this idea.  There are a lot of great ideas on Pinterest and YouTube to help you out.  We then added a cap to the top so water couldn't get in, cut out some holes with my husbands rotozip and tada!  Chicken feeder!
 I of course had to paint it red to match the steps and door. 

We let the chickens out early in the morning for about an hour and then again about 3pm.  (after school)
Chickens are easy in the fact that they do put them selves to bed.  At dusk they automatically march right into the coop and up the steps to their roost.  They snuggle in tight and go to sleep.  More pics to come of that phenomenon.
 

 Here is the feeder being put to good use by one of "the Dolly's". 

When planning a location for the feeder make sure it is away from sprinklers or that it might get rained on.  If the food gets wet it will turn into a rock and the chicks won't eat it.  Plus it might spoil and you don't want chickens eating rotten food.

**Update** We did end up cutting the PVC feeder so it only has two feeding holes.  There wasn't enough gravity to push the food all the way down the length of the pipe.  It is working much better now that it is shorter.**

Dot, our Barred Rock might be the Queen of the Coop.  We are watching her to make sure she doesn't turn into a meanie.  She's the only Barred Rock so it could be a possibility.  She has the softest feathers out of all of them and loves to be held and carried around by the kids.  I think chickens are like any type of pet or even a garden.  "You Have to Pay Attention" for them to survive.  Feed, water, protect and you should be just fine.♥

Chick Inn - Our Chicken Coop

Our chicken coop is all done!  The chicks are in and loving their new home. 

The steps can be moved to either the inside of the coop or the outside (as seen here).  

Chickens are so funny, as soon as the sun starts setting, in they go.  

They go right upstairs and go to bed.  

Easiest animals we have ever had.

 This is Dolly. 

 We have five Ameraucana's and one Barred Rock.

The B&W one is named Dot.

I couldn't tell the Ameraucana's apart so we named them all Dolly.

 I'm all about easy.

I had a little contest on Instagram to name the Coop.

I mean, if my house has a name then why not the coop?

Boy howdy were there some great names!

Here are a few:

Un Peu Mignonne (cute & little)

Gardenview Coop

Maison Poulailler

The Breakfast Club (this was the 2nd place winner)

Meet the Flockers (3rd place winner)

Little Deuce Coop

Hen pen

Fowl Territory

Chick Filet

Clubhouse - Chicks only

Little Red Hen House

Coop D Vil

Sunny Side Up Shack

Omelet Oasis

Over Easy Hotel

Gardenviewcoopage

Chicks Rule

Les Coop

Les Edibles

Les Poulailler

And the winner is......

Chick-Inn

Now to have a cute little sign made and it will be perfect!

Sneak Peek - The Coop

Sneak Peek as to what's going on around here.

Check back for more detailed pictures and what we have been up to.

photo's edited and taken from my instagram page