Green Acres — We are THAT Family

In an uncharacteristic move, we have made a pivotal decision.

Clearly, it is life-changing.

We got a bunny, a rabbit, a hare.

And, it was all my idea.

When Spring blooms, I remember my childhood, in the city. One filled with laughter and snapshot memories of Easter chicks dyed pink and bunny-filled hutches in our backyard. Back in the 80′s, you could pick up a peep in the grocery story this time of year. And we did.

Just for fun.

My kids, especially my oldest, yearn for some land to stretch out on and fulfill 4H dreams of rabbit-raising and horse-petting.

With our broken economy and commitment to cut-back, this may be our dream farm, all 1/8 of an acre. And so, we decided not to wait for land or common sense, it seems.

Meet Marshmallow:

Nicknamed: Marsha, if she turns out to be a girl and Mallow if she, is really a he. (We’re working on the identification).

Let me chronicle the first 24 hours, because I know you care.

While my hubby set up the cage we borrowed from my Mom, my 2 year old decided she was thirsty and not prejudice against bunny germs:

It also seems that my 9 year old requires much less sleep than her parents. Because she woke us up at 5:30 a.m. to talk about her plans for showing the bunny at the Livestock show next year and again at 6:00 a.m. to ask if she could play with Marsha. Oh, and again at 6:30 a.m. to let us know (through tears and snot) that Marsha peed on her bed and she was lost upstairs somewhere.

That’s when my hubby leaned over and declared, “I don’t think I’m going to participate in the bunny raising.” And that’s when I leaned right back and “let him have it.”

6:30 a.m. missing bunny and pee pee will do that to a girl.

But Mallow was found by the nonparticipating Dad in the family.

And it turns out I actually recaptured my childhood for the moment.

I should also note that Marshmallow is of the California blood-line. These rabbits are bred for meat and grow to be an average of 22 pounds. And we just thought she (or he) was on sale.

I find those facts completely hysterical, just so you know. Also, we have no idea what we’re doing, but my new book (Country Wisdom & Know-How) has a chapter on rabbits, with recipes.

P.S. I am open to rabbit advice. And if you get a wild hare, tell me about your childhood bunny or peeps. Unless you were deprived like my hubby.

Happy Easter, y’all!

Creating a Frugal Home

[This is a continuation of yesterday's post The Difference Between Thrifty & Frugal]

Frugal living is a big learning curve for this convenience-loving girl who is addicted to clearance shopping (whether I need it or not!)

(But don’t panic, if it’s more than 75% off and I can get my thrifty hands on it, I will be stockpiling my bargain finds. It’s hard to teach an old shopper new tricks. I’m also planning a new DIYP series called Dollar Store Decor, coming soon to a blog near you.)

But in these unstable days, I want something greater than the best bargain out there:

I want to gather my family around me and protect them from the world I cannot trust. I want to cocoon, to become more self-sufficient.

I don’t know how to make bread. I don’t know how to grow a garden. I don’t know how to can food or store it away for lean times. I don’t know how to sew. But I want to (especially after reading this amazing post).

Every time I visit my in laws farm, I’m surprised at how self sufficient they are. They don’t rely heavily upon modern conveniences. They rely upon the land. I feel useless without the Internet or a Target. But in a way, I envy their simple life.

While I don’t see myself packing up and turning this blog into We are THAT Family: The Green Acres Edition, I desire to simplify.

Will times get harder? Will I need to know how to survive on less because I must? Will the unstable job market knock on my door? I don’t know.

But I want to turn my thrifty home into a little more of a frugal one.

Either way.

Because I think it will feel really good to work together as a family and create and provide for each other.

Want to join me?

Here are a few of my goals to become a little more frugal and a lot more self-sufficient:

Cut back expenses and get out of debt-we owe on one car and our house, but have six months of living expenses tucked back. We are saving as much money as we can and trying to pay off our car by Christmas. My advice: get out of debt, don’t add more. Dave Ramsey has a workable plan.
Eat at home
Learn to bake bread
Learn to grow food
Learn to can food and create a stockpile
Buy second hand (more than just kid’s clothes). I’m challenging myself to look for used instead of new (This one scares me!)
Balance- I’m looking forward to learning new things with my family, but I want to remember balance is important. I don’t think being an extremist will benefit my family. I want to be honest with myself and with you. For example, I will plan to drink Chick Fil A sweet tea regularly and go to Family Camp this summer (mainly because we finished paying for it in December!) and continue my life, but thru frugal-colored glasses.

[I'm hoping to add these books to my library soon Frugal Living for Dummies ,Chick Living: Frugal And Fabulous and The Self Sufficient-ish Bible: An Eco-living Guide for the 21st Century]