Office makeover plans

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The office makeover is a project I’ve been dreaming about for more than a year. I’ve been working for myself from home since before Ellie was born, yet I don’t have a dedicated workspace.

If I feel like sunshine and a view, I sit at the dining room table. If I’m feeling cozy and the fire is on, I sit on the living room couch. Most nights, I’m on the downstairs couch. I like the flexibility, but having an actual office would also be nice.

It took me a while to realize that I could turn Matt’s office into my office. As soon as I did, I got very excited thinking about everything this room could be.

Matt’s office is a room that only appeared on the blog waaaaaay back when we first moved in and were renovating the basement. After Matt set up his space, he wasn’t keen on sharing it and it wasn’t very photogenic, so I never featured it here.

That is all about to change.

This is the before, a mostly clean slate. (In my excitement to start this project, I couldn’t resist patching nail holes and putting some paint samples on the wall.)

When we did the basement renovation, we reinsulated all of the exterior walls, moved the office door around the corner, put up new drywall, had new carpet laid, and installed the cabinets (which used to live in the main room of the basement).

Basement before
Basement demo in progress
Matt's office
The basement before

The foundation of the room was good. But I wanted to make it work for me.

Here’s a collage of some of the things that are in my plans.

First up is the colour. I’m going to be sticking with green for the walls, but a slightly different tone.

My plan is to have a large desk with two work stations that wraps around the corner. On one side, I’ll have my computer. On the other, I’ll have the sewing machine.

The base of the desk will be two filing cabinets and two banks of drawers, all painted white. Above the desk in the corner I’ll have some open shelving (likely painted green) for storage and display.

The cabinets are staying where they are, as they are (for now). I’d love to transform these into shaker doors like I did in the laundry room and give them a coat of paint, but that’s a later plan. For now, I’m grateful to have the cabinets as they provide a lot of really useful storage for fabric, yarn, office supplies, wrapping paper and more. I am planning to add a corkboard “backsplash,” as I love a bulletin board.

Then the rest of the room is decorating. I have art and objects that are special to me, and I want to finally have a nice spot to display them.

I am very excited for this project, and work is already underway. Stay tuned for more updates.

Do you have an office at your home? What’s your must-have (or wishlist) for an office?

The coop has a floor (and more)

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A lot has happened in the coop since my last update. Key word, in the coop. Over the last two months, I’ve been working inside the barn to build the actual coop.

The plan is to make the coop a kind of room within a room. I feel like this is best way to make it secure from predators. It’s also easier to construct a standalone space, rather than trying to tie into the existing barn, which may or may not be square and level.

So this means I’ve been building a floor, walls and ceiling.

First step was setting three new posts. These support the floor, walls and ceiling. I drilled into the concrete floor, put in three saddles and then put up 4×4 posts that are screwed into the ceiling beam at the top.

Then I could move onto the floor. I wanted a subfloor elevated above the existing concrete floor because this corner of the barn is sometimes a little wet. There’s a grate in the floor that appears to be connected to some kind of drain. But I have no idea where the drain goes and I suspect that it may be plugged, as every so often the grate overflows. We also a have a problem downspout and missing eavestroughs at the coop corner.

I’m hoping that new eavestrough and our new block wall will help to keep most of the water out, but to make sure our chickens don’t get wet feet (and our ducks don’t go swimming inside), a raised floor seemed like a good idea.

My mission with the floor was to not buy new lumber. We have a large amount of wood left by previous owners, so I raided that for joists. I found a lot of very long 2x10s (I was hoping for 2x8s), so we have a very strong floor.

I put a rim joist on the new block wall, and then worked my way around to my new posts, keeping everything level. Then I installed hangers and set my joists in place. I do not enjoy nailing joist hangers, but they definitely made setting the joists much faster and easier to do on my own.

Once the joists were finished, it was simple (though heavy) to lay down some sheets of plywood and the floor was done on the last day before Christmas holidays.

I’ve done more since then, but I’ll save that for my next coop update. In the meantime, if you want to see more about the coop, I’ve been documenting the construction on video and sharing on Instagram. Follow me at juliaon129acres, and catch up on all the videos in the Coop highlight.

Odds & sods

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The year is off to a great start for us. The pond has been frozen this whole month, so we have been skating. It’s so special to be able to walk down the hill and go skating on our own pond. I also took Ellie skiing for the first time, and I’ve gone snowshoeing twice.

I jumped right into a few projects and have been making great progress (updates to come). Progress is always so motivating for me.

We even had a glimpse into what’s ahead for us this spring when we went to a backyard poultry workshop and got to meet some newly hatched ducklings (click through the slideshow above for fuzzy cuteness).

Life is full and fun.

Here are some other things that I noticed this month:

A beautiful ode to a hammer

I love this church-inspired home. The antique furniture in the kitchen is an amazing look.

I’ve been using Floorplanner.com to map out some of this year’s home goals. It’s easy to use, free, and is a great tool to visualize my plans.

Mel Robbins is a new-to-me podcaster. Her Best of 2024 episode was full of interesting people and impactful advice. Most of all, it confirmed I’m on the right track with some of my choices.

Of the 37 books I read last year, Eve by Cat Bohannon is a standout. By page 10, I wanted everyone I know to read it. I think everyone (regardless of whether I know you or not) should read at least the introduction.

“If the story of our ancestors is about anything, it’s about survival. Hunger, and migration–the unyielding force of Death, driving us ever forward and out, into the gray line of a long horizon. That is where we came from. It drives us even now.”

Eve by Cat Bohannon

How has January been for you? Where are you finding inspiration? Anyone else have a standout book from last year? Who else has been getting outside? What’s motivating you?

Home Goals 2025

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I am really, really excited by the projects I have planned for this year. This year will bring a lot of new and big things for us and the farm. They’re all centred around how we live, how we use the house and what we want for our lives here.

Here is what I’m hoping to accomplish in 2025.

Coop

Source: Feathered Acres

Having birds has been a goal since Matt and I were thinking of buying a farm. I made really good progress on the coop last year (updates are coming), and I’m aiming to finish it soon so we’re ready to welcome some new feathered friends this spring.

My office

Source: Ampersand Living

Following our big cleanout last year, Matt’s office is ready to become my office. I am excited to have my own space for working, writing, crafting, sewing, whatevering. This will be the first project of the year. (In fact, it might already be underway.)

Ellie’s playroom

Sources: Lush Home & Young House Love

A dedicated play, crafting, creating space for Ellie is the second step in the game of dominoes that is our whole home reorganization. After I move into my new office (and remove all of my things from Ellie’s old bedroom), setting up this room just for Ellie is next on the list.

Main bathroom

Country bathroom inspiration

Source: Heidi Caillier

Yes. We are finally redoing our main bathroom. This will be a large project, and I’m hoping to do a good amount of it myself.

After last year’s reset, this year’s goals are big steps forward. I’m hoping we can stay on track and keep up the momentum for 2025.

What’s exciting you about your house right now? Do you have any home goals for this year? Anyone else have big plans for 2025?

Looking back at Home Goals 2024

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Last year was a “get back on track” year in terms of home projects, and I feel like I did pretty well. It wasn’t always easy. It wasn’t always fun. It wasn’t always the most “bloggable” content. But I feel like I made progress, which for me is very satisfying.

Also satisfying? This annual look back at how I did on home goals 2024.

Driveway

Paving the driveway was the final step in our garage/mudroom/patio makeover. It feels like a big accomplishment to have this project completely done. The south side of our house has had a huge transformation, and I love the result. Plus, clearing the snow this winter has been much easier.

Coop

The coop ended last year in pretty good shape (I have updates to share). It’s not done, but we’re closer and getting birds this spring seems possible. I’m very proud of how my plans are coming together and that I’ve done most of the work myself.

Vegetable garden

As you saw in my Home Goals 2024 mid-year report, I decided to let the vegetable garden go last year. It was the right choice for me at the time, and looking back I don’t regret crossing it off the list.

Clean-up inside

Last year I wrote that “anything will be progress.” So, on the goal of tweaking, organizing, purging our house, I can say that I made progress. Fully finishing Ellie’s room was a big step. There’s still a lot more to do, so I feel like I’m still in the middle of a game of dominoes. Fixing one space will fix another which will lead to the space after that (which will lead us to Home Goals 2025, so stay tuned).

Clean-up outside

Our chipper and rotary cutter were both in action last year, and I was able to maintain all of the areas I had cleaned up previously. I also cleaned up a few new areas around the coop, so we are mowing all the way around the barn for the first time since we moved to the farm. My other big clean up, both inside and out, was a large quantity of Matt’s stuff. This project fell into the not easy, not fun and not bloggable category. But now it also falls into the done category.

Personal goals

I also had some personal goals last year that were about some of the other things that are important in my life.

  • Walking: 469.5km (39km per month. The same as last year and a bit shy of this year’s goal of 42km per month–though I still don’t track on-farm field walks, which I do at least once a day with Cigo)
  • Monkey bars: I still do them every week.
  • Reading: 37 books (didn’t hit my goal of 50 books)
  • 1,000 Hours Outside: 939.5 (close, but this is a challenge that even if you lose you win)
  • Family albums: I completed 2020 and 2024, so that leaves 2021 and 2022 to catch up on.
  • Rest: Still my hardest challenge. I’m more conscious of my need to rest and I feel like I’m doing a better job of listening to my body. Though I still need to go to bed earlier.

Looking back at 2024, I’m proud of what I accomplished. Everything I did set us up for what I want to do this year, and I’m really excited for what’s ahead for 2025. Stay tuned for Home Goals 2025 coming up.

Did you have any home goals last year? How did you do on projects around your house? What was your big accomplishment for the year?

Word of the year: Care

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Sunrise over a field of grass and snow with a large tree and black dog

On a snowy Christmas Eve, as Cigo and I walked around the back field, I finally figured out my word of the year. Care.

In some ways, care is an extension of last year’s word of the year: rest. Rest is a stretch for me, and I feel like I still have a long way to go to incorporate more rest into my life. In fact, for awhile I thought rest would be 2025’s word of the year too. But I wanted something slightly different this year.

Tromping around the field, the word “careful” came to me. Not meaning to be cautious, but to be full of care. The concept immediately connected with me. As I walked on and thought of all the different parts of my life where I want to be care-full, I decided my word of the year would be care.

Part of my goals this year is to work more on caring for myself. How I treat my body in terms of work around the farm, the food I eat, the time that I sleep, the walks I go on, the rest I take.

It’s also about being careful how I spend my time, my money, my attention. Nurturing the relationships that are important to me. Giving Ellie my full attention, staying connected with friends, helping my family as I can.

It’s also care for this farm. Working on our home is important to me and a big source of joy. Having a property and a house means maintaining them. With this farm, I also want to take more steps to improve our land. In this way, I am caring for our environment and my little part of the world.

Here’s to the year ahead, a year of care. I wish you happy new year and all the best for 2025.

Catch up on past words of the year here: Balance … Slow … Resolve … Focus … Content … Choose … Rest.

Have you made any resolutions this year? What are your goals for 2025? Anyone else have a word of the year?

Fall wrap-up and wins

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I’m trying to focus on wins. It’s easy to get caught up in everything that’s not done or things that didn’t go according to plan. December has arrived, and I’m feeling behind. But as I look back over the fall, I can see the progress I’ve made, and I realize I am moving forward.

Everything on my fall to-do list is done.

Outdoor furniture is in the barn. Eavestroughs are clean (I’m not as confident in the downspouts, but I hope they’re good enough for the winter). Septic tank is pumped. Chimney is swept (and we’ve been enjoying some lovely fires). Heat pump filter is clean. Outdoor water is off and hoses are hanging in the driveshed.

I completed my final task, chipping two piles of brush, last week. Then I moved the tractor up to the garage where it’s more convenient if we need it for snow .

My major focus for the fall was the barn: cleaning out more of Matt’s stuff and building the coop. Matt’s stuff is done. The coop, not so much. But I am aiming to get back to it between now and the end of the year, so I’m hopeful that I will see more progress soon.

I’m also starting to look ahead to some of the projects I want to do next year, and I’m very excited by what’s coming. With DIY there are always frustrations and delays. But there are also wins, whether it’s the fun of planning, the satisfaction of figuring out how to do something, or finally crossing a project off your list and enjoying the results of your work.

So today I’m celebrating the simple accomplishment of finishing my fall to-do list, and the bonus of a few more weeks to tackle a project that is important and interesting to me.

Anyone else have projects you’re trying to wrap up before the end of the year? How are you feeling about your accomplishments this year? Is your house ready for winter?

Odds & sods

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Fall sunrise in the country

As we end the month, I am still reflecting on Remembrance Day, the US election, the state of the world, the future and my place in it.

Here are some links that have resonated with me.

“Voting can not be the only way we engage in our democracy… Real change demands ongoing engagement in our democracy–not just casing a ballot every four years.” – On Canada Project

Dear Mr. President – Jensen McRae

“If something horrible was happening to you and your people how would you want other people to respond?” – Viet Thanh Nguyen

Microdosing hope – Brené Brown

“The working poor are like the ultimate philanthropists. They are giving us their safety, their security, their time so that the rest of us can get stuff that’s cheap. There are a lot of costs to that kind of cheapness and we all bear them.” – Peter Goodman paraphrasing Barbara Ehrenreich

“You are awakening to the same country you fell asleep to.” – Venice Williams

“Black, Indigenous, Queer, Disabled Peoples are all still here, still doing the work that helps us all survive.” – Allen Salway

Looking for hope and working for change

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Child's drawing of poppies

I want to write a message of hope this Remembrance Day. But for the last year, I have watched Israel’s war against Palestine and then last week the American election. It’s hard to find hope.

Self-interest. Power. Capitalism. Racism. They seem to be winning.

Over the past year, I have felt like public opinion has shifted. More people seem to recognize the wrong of Israel’s attacks. But our governments have not changed course. And watching the election last week, nothing has changed. I feel like people voted to maintain the status quo. To maintain their own status. I worry that Canada is on the same path.

No one wants to be inconvenienced.

More than 80 years ago, during World War 2, my grandfather left his family here in Canada. His wife. His three children. His home. He went to Europe and fought a war. His life was deeply affected for people he didn’t know, but for a cause he—and our government—believed in. I think about my grandfather.

I think about Indigenous peoples, Black people, Palestinian people whose lives are impacted everyday by injustice and inequality. I cannot speak for them, but I believe that for some it doesn’t matter who’s in charge. Liberal, PC, NDP, Democrat, Republican, they’re all the same. Perpetuating the same systems and the same injustices.

I think about myself. War, racism, discrimination, inequality, poverty–the evils of our world don’t impact me (so far). I get up in the morning. Get my daughter ready for school and go about my day. What reason do I have to disrupt my comfortable life?

In the aftermath of last week’s election, I have seen messages that we need community. We need to not rely on our governments and instead rely on each other. Not ourselves. Each other. We need to come together and work to change the world. I am feeling that strongly this Remembrance Day.

I think about my grandfather, World War 2 and Remembrance Day. I think about Ellie and her future in a world where people care most about themselves and are not willing to help others, to stop injustice, to change the world. What type of world do I want to be part of? How can I disrupt my comfortable life to help make that world happen?