our kitchen remodel: before & after

when we moved into our home this past july, i had big plans to turn this place into a cozy farmhouse. sometimes i feel like there are too many unfinished projects & we haven't completed much of anything since moving in. then i look at the "before" photos & i am reminded of how much we have completed in just nine short months & on a budget. 

today i thought i'd share the before & after of our kitchen remodel with you!

when we bought this house, it just wasn't "us." the cabinets were dark wood & the kitchen felt too small. the walls were green & a little too dark for my preference. i am happy to say that our home has evolved from dark & plain to light & cheery!  

being on a budget means you have to prioritize what you want. for example, i wanted concrete countertops & subway tiles. after evaluating the budget, i realized we couldn't justify the expense. there are a few things i would love to change about our kitchen, but it's a space that makes me happy. it's functional & beautiful & i am grateful to call it ours. 

here are a few more details about our kitchen...

it took a handful of girlfriends & me about 18 hours to paint all of the cabinets white ("ultra white" by benjamin moore). we painted the walls a soft light blue ("stillness" by valspar). i got all of the kitchen cabinet knobs & pulls from home depot for around $2.50 - $3.50 each. 

the light fixture is made with a light kit & a vintage basket turned upside down. i decided to remove all of the doors from the upper cabinets to give the kitchen more of an airy feel & to display some of my pretties. 

i collect old things from flea markets, thrift shops & yard sales so most of the items found around our kitchen are vintage. the "everyone loves pie" print is from 1canoe2. the succulents are planted in old coffee cans. 

i had the kitchen cart custom made by our dear friends, noble dwelling. it is made of salvaged metal, barn wood & upcycled wheels. you will find me most of the day cutting vegetables & preparing our meals right here. i also love old jars. i have collected them for years. all of our bulk items are placed in jars found secondhand. 

all in all, our kitchen remodel cost about $300, which includes paint, hardware, and light fixtures. it took us about two weeks to complete this project. i am thrilled with the results & i hope you love them, too!

love,

natalie

p.s. here's the link to our coffee bar if you're interested!

new growth, new chapter

this weekend was good. one of those weekends that leaves you thankful for this life & that you get to call it yours. life has been so hard recently. i haven't shared that weight here for the simple fact that i want parts of my life to remain private for the sake of my family & for myself. thankfully i can feel a slight shift as if we're turning a new page & coming out of the dark & a bit stronger, too. spring, you're good for the soul.

the farmers' market opened this weekend. i'm fairly certain our entire town was out & about at the market lingering in the warm sunshine, listening to music & purchasing the good stuff. we brought home a bouquet of flowers & an excitement for what's to happen this season.

i love the newness of spring & the beauty of this season. new life, abundant growth, a new chapter - all around & also within. 

happy monday, friends. this week is a fresh start. let us embrace its possibility!

love,

natalie

a week of healthy, delicious & affordable dinner ideas

i am always working to feed my family well while sticking to a budget. this week we had our usual $75 to feed the family. throw counting calories & a "diet" or "lifestyle change" into the mix & i am tempted to overspend. 

this week happens to be a busy one, too. the farmers' market is opening up so i plan to support our farmers. i am also hosting a girls' night at our home tonight. that means a bottle of wine & some fun snacks. considering the events of the week, i decided to set aside $30 from our budget for those two expenses. that left me $45 for the entire week. 

i am excited to share some dinner ideas that i incorporated into our meal plan this week that are calorie-friendly, budget-friendly & delicious!

monday: i made pesto pasta with frozen pesto from last summer. every summer i always freeze bell peppers, can tomatoes & freeze pesto. those are my three staples (do these three things if you aren't already, trust me.). pulling out pesto in a financial pinch is the most delicious & cheapest gourmet trick in the book. if you don't have basil pesto, you can make spinach pesto. spinach is in season right now & can be found for an inexpensive price.

tuesday: i served up a baked sweet potato bar. paired with roasted asparagus (also in season right now & so inexpensive), this was a delicious meal. i usually add a little bit of fresh avocado on the side & plenty of toppings, including coconut oil & nuts.

 wednesday: my meal plan for wednesday included a vegetable frittata. having chickens in our backyard makes egg-based meals affordable. i love skinnytaste's low calorie frittata recipe.  

thursday: last night's dinner was a delicious crockpot vegetable soup i made from ingredients we already had on hand. i used a bag of frozen veggies (peas, carrots & corn), one potato, homemade chicken broth & stewed tomatoes from last year's garden. it was delicious served with a side of crackers, roasted broccoli (also in season & affordable) & avocado. 

friday: tonight's dinner is rice and beans. i make this an exciting meal with toppings such as cilantro, avocado, sour cream, salsa & a side of homemade tortilla chips. also, setting the table with a fiesta theme makes eating rice & beans a little more special.

bonus meal: last week i made skinnytaste's calorie-friendly tuna noodle casserole, which was delicious & affordable. i am not a huge casserole fan, but i will definitely make this recipe again.

some tips:

- make your dollar stretch by purchasing fresh foods that are in season.

- lean more toward vegetable-based meals rather than meat-focused meals. they're often healthier & always more affordable. if your family loves meat, try one night a week, like "meatless mondays."

- if you're serving a light main dish, always provide a hearty side such as roasted asparagus, avocado or a large salad. 

- sunday is the day we eat all of the leftovers. this works for our family because it prevents us from wasting food & it gives me a break from cooking.

i love making our dollar stretch while feeding my family well. i hope you found these recipe ideas useful & the tips helpful. let me know if you use any of these meal ideas!

do you have any recipes that are healthy & inexpensive? please share!

love,

natalie

oliver's teddy bear picnic

happy birthday to our little oliver! he is 1 today! i am one proud auntie. 

his mom & pop invited me to his little teddy bear picnic to celebrate. it was the cutest little party. i thought i would share with you some of the details that jenni anne, oliver's mom, put together.

they had the birthday party in the front yard surrounded by lush ivy & big trees. little blankets were spread out for little ones to play on. the baskets were filled with cupcakes & tied with balloons.

a quilt was spread out over the picnic table & baskets were filled with fruits.

little oliver's cake was covered in cheerios & whipped cream. he loved it.

oliver's teddy bears were even invited to the party! now my favorite part- oliver eating his cake!

oliver, we love you! happy first birthday, sweet boy!

love,

natalie

two new additions to the farm

on thursday afternoon, we were greeted with two new babies to freckled hen farm! calamity did such a wonderful job laboring & is fitting into the role of mama quite nicely.

both kids are bucklings. the first boys of our seven kids born this year! calamity had twin bucklings last season so we were very surprised to witness the same this season. the boys are 25% lamancha & 75% nubian. they're so precious.

the boys are yet to be named. i left on friday to two snuggling baby goats in the barn. when i returned on sunday, i saw them in the pastures jumping around as little kids do & hanging out with the older kids. they're little adventurers so their names must be fitting to such. 

it's so wonderful to have so much life happening on the farm. we're loving our little herd of goats grazing the land & greeting us daily.

love,

natalie

p.s. just a little note- we now have five precious doelings ready for sale. if you're interested, email me at natalie.j.freeman@gmail.com! thanks!

our home made lovely tour at freckled hen farm

friends, exciting news! join me at life made lovely for our home made lovely tour! i plan to share more details of each room here on the blog, but for now, i'd love for you to take a peek at our farmhouse! thanks, heather!

love,

natalie

how we meal plan: the meal planning kit & giveaway

i believe the commitment to our home & the work of our hands should be beautiful, creative & enjoyable. 

i love making our own laundry soap because it saves us money & i get to put it in a pretty jar when i am finished. i don't mind sweeping our kitchen floors because the broom has a well-made wooden handle & looks like one my great grandmother might have used. i get a little giddy when i sit down on sunday evenings to meal plan because my paper meal planner inspires me.

above is the usual scene you will see when i am meal planning: a pretty bouquet on the table with a candle lit & a cup of coffee in hand. my homemaking binder continues to be a work-in-progress (i hope to share that with you sometime soon!), but it is filled with all-natural home product recipes & the loveliest meal planner pages. 

i have used a lot of meal planners in my day from scraps of paper to free printables online. they were all fine, but they didn't exactly fit the needs of our family & i wasn't left inspired. when i came across amy j delightful's meal planning kit, i jumped on the opportunity & purchased one. it is full of helpful pages from a freezer inventory to printable recipe cards. 

i specifically love this meal planning kit because it includes a space for every meal. i noticed that when i didn't plan my lunch, i made a poor choice & simply ate leftovers or whatever i saw first (i.e. tortilla chips with cheese melted on top). this meal planner allows me to plan our breakfast, lunches & dinner. i can now plan & enjoy a big salad when it's written on the meal plan & i have purchased extra greens. 

i also love the grocery list. i print it out, put it on a clipboard & walk around my kitchen writing down foods we need. i bring that same clipboard to the store with me & cross off items as i shop. 

would you like to win a meal planning kit from amy j delightful? i am so excited to offer one today!

simply- 

1. visit amy's shop

2. comment below with your email address & one meal planning tip

i'll choose a random winner on monday & share the winner's name here!

love,

natalie

++ GIVEAWAY CLOSED ++ 

congrats to lovecakesoup for winning the giveaway! I will email you shortly!