Last week, I showed you the before pictures of my outhouse remodel project.

I’m proud to say this is the cheapest remodel I’ve ever done before:

$40 white paint, green paint, brush + $10 garage sale chair + $35 flowers — > 80% of paint leftover for other buildings on the farm — > Total Cost: $53

I collected field rocks from…well…the fields. And, dirt…you know, from a dirt pile. The barn quilt was from our wedding. The bird houses & metal flower and watering can were also wedding & shower gifts. You’re never gonna believe this, but the flowers came from — a green house!

The other barn quilt now resides on the west side of the house. I guess that’s one of the perks of living in a house that is a 100+ years old, nobody gets to worked up when you nail/screw things into the siding!

While we’re at it. Here’s another funny little free project…this old claw footed bath tub was sitting outside for years and years at John’s mom’s house. So, she kindly let me turn it into a small herb garden. The grass beneath has a little bit to be desired, next year I’ll work on that.

The galvanized tub hanging above the bath tub belonged to John’s grandmother Hazel Blachford. She literally used this tub to do her laundry. Pioneer style. You know, before she got the fancy ringer washer. Naturally, we still have the ringer washer sitting around here on the farm, too. I’ve been told it still works.

Okay, now for the exciting part. Tool storage. I swiped a bunch of nails from the shop & got started hammering away. 

I even found a spot for my taller shovel! 

And, our grilling supplies.

I’m not exactly sure when the whole “pregnancy nesting” business kicks in…but this whole project gave me a particular joy.

A place for everything, and everything in its place.

What does our charcoal have to do with being prepared for a baby? Nothing.

I don’t try to understand my female brain, I just roll with it.

Last week, I mentioned that this outhouse was the first thing we saw each morning from our bedroom and living room. Now, it is a much prettier view from both spots.

Hay, Hay, Hay

On a less-domestic front, this has been another week of haying for John and Ron. They made two loads of small square bales and did quite a few more big round bales, too. I think there was about 250 total small square bales.

John likes to call the small squares “Idiot Cubes” because first they have to be lifted, tossed and stacked on the trailer (1 x 125ish per load), then they have to be thrown and restocked in the barn (1 x 125ish per load).

In total each bale, gets lifted and moved LOTS of times (250-ish total times) and they each weigh about 70 pounds.

It’s worth the hassle though, because during calving season it is nice to be able to hand feed these smaller sections (called flakes) to the cows after they calve.

And, it is a good cardio workout!