Author Portrait: maryjane

Winners!!! Giveaways: On the Sunny Side

Posted on August 29, 2017 by maryjane

In the Aug/Sept issue of MaryJanesFarm, “On the Sunny Side,” I led you here to my daily journal for a chance to win some special giveaways. Following, you’ll find the winners of all four giveaways. Thank you to all who participated by leaving comments, and stay tuned for more giveaways in each issue of MaryJanesFarm. If you’re not yet a subscriber to MaryJanesFarm, subscribe here for $19.95/year.

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The winner of my “Liquid Sunshine, On the Sunny Side” giveaway is Cecile Clausen, who left this comment in response to “Tell me your favorite cleaning tip.” (302 comments!)

“Often! Always stay on top of it. I would love to try your Liquid Sunshine Vermont Soap! I love MaryJanesFarm magazine!”

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The winner of my “Coola, On the Sunny Side” giveaway is Libby Blaha, who left this comment in response to “Tell me about your summer-in-the-sun plans.” (242 comments!)

“My summer-in-the-sun plan is spending time in my yard and garden, trying to keep up with the mowing and weeding, along with getting ready for fall gardening. Actually, very relaxing!!”

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The winner of my “Milk Cow Kitchen, On the Sunny Side” giveaway is Cheryl Wolfgang, who left this comment in response to “Tell me how MaryJanesFarm has helped you realize your farm dreams.” (285 comments!)

“Thank you for a great magazine. I enjoy it so much! I grew up near Moscow Mountain on a farm, and love the area. We had a jersey cow back then; loved the milk and we made our own butter. I have lived in Pennsylvania now for many years. I’d like to have a jersey cow again. Right now, I have dairy goats, and I’d like to make cheeses.”

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The winner of my “Chocolate, On the Sunny Side” giveaway is Eileen M Stone, who left this comment in response to “Tell me how you feel when you eat chocolate.” (334 comments!)

“When I eat chocolate, I feel happy and loved. It’s like a hug from the inside out!”

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Thank you to the over 1,100 women who responded with such thoughtful comments! If you’re one of our winners, keep an eye out for an e-mail from the farm.

Continue reading →

  1. Winnie Nielsen says:
    August 28, 2017 at 9:11 am

    Congratulations everyone and enjoy!!!

    Reply
  2. Krista says:
    August 28, 2017 at 11:27 am

    Congratulations ladies and enjoy your new things!

    Reply

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Author Portrait: maryjane

GIVEAWAY: “Liquid Sunshine, On the Sunny Side”

Posted on June 29, 2017 by maryjane

Thank you for dropping by my Raising Jane Journal to participate in my giveaways! We’ve chosen a winner for this giveaway already (click here for details), but don’t be afraid to leave a comment anyway. I love reading them. And stay tuned for more great MaryJanesFarm giveaways.

Liquid Sunshine was one of our featured products in the “Home Safe Home” section of the Aug/Sept issue of MaryJanesFarm. Liquid Sunshine Non-toxic Cleaner by Vermont Soap Organics is a USDA-certified food-grade organic alternative to conventional chemical cleaners—a single-source solution to washing laundry, dishes, kitchen appliances, bathrooms, carpets, stains, woodwork, floors, camping gear, and any other water-safe surface. Plus, it’s safe and effective to use on the hands and body, and is even touted as a terrific shampoo for people with oily hair.

vermont-soap

For a chance to win a FREE 16-oz bottle of Liquid Sunshine, tell me your favorite cleaning tip in the comments below. I’ll toss your name into a hat and draw a lucky winner sometime mid-August.

Stay tuned for more magazine-related giveaways. If you’re not yet a subscriber to my magazine, MaryJanesFarm, subscribe here for $19.95/year.

Continue reading →

  1. Linda Olson says:
    June 28, 2017 at 2:40 am

    My favorite cleaning tip is to tackle mold in the shower tile. I soak paper towels in chlorox, then squeeze them, roll them up length wise and press them into the mold area of the tile. The paper towel will adhere to the tile whether it is on the floor or the walls of the shower area. Let them sit for several hours, or even till they dry. Remove and you will see amazing results.

    Reply
  2. Lisa Bell says:
    June 28, 2017 at 4:20 am

    I use just old fashion baking soda and vinegar-it seems to do the trick most times.
    If I need to wash walls or clean kitty litter boxes I use my homemade laundry detergent.

    Reply
  3. Debbe J. says:
    June 28, 2017 at 6:01 am

    Thank you for posting about Liquid Sunshine. I would love to try some. My favorite cleaning hack is tiny but mighty. I save all the lil plastic gizmos off the bread bags (those lil square thingies that hold the bag closed). Believe it or not, they make the best lil pot scrubbers! Happy cleaning!

    Reply
  4. amber says:
    June 28, 2017 at 7:02 am

    I place sheets of waxed paper onto of my refrigerator so I can just lift them up when it gets dirty and throw them away. Its not someplace that gets cleaned too often so the dirt and dust builds up. This way there is zero scrubbing and it takes just a couple of seconds to throw away the old and replace with new sheets. Its high enough up that no one ever sees it!

    Reply
  5. Deborah Jeanne Jackson says:
    June 28, 2017 at 7:24 am

    Surprisingly I tried cleaning my Amish made 27 year old dining room table with multi purpose organic cleaner with great results and no stickiness. Very happy.

    Reply
  6. Deb Morris says:
    June 28, 2017 at 8:56 am

    Dawn dishwashing liquid (blue) is excellent for grease stains on clothes!! Rub a little into the stain, sometimes I use a toothbrush for a little scrubbing, and presto! That stain comes out with a regular wash load!

    Reply
  7. Gail McG. says:
    June 28, 2017 at 8:59 am

    For sparkling windows and mirrors I use a solution of one half alcohol and one half water in a spray bottle. Wipe with a microfiber cloth and there are no streaks! This is also great on fixtures and my granite countertops!

    Reply
  8. Gaye N. Durst says:
    June 28, 2017 at 10:05 am

    One of my favorite tips is
    Whrn using wool dryer balls to soften laundry, also throw in a few crumpled up balls of aluminum foil, kills the static! Between re using both over and over, no more yucky chemical “fabric conditioners” certainly less waste to throw away and saving a ton of money.

    Reply
  9. Krista says:
    June 28, 2017 at 10:37 am

    My favorite cleaning tip is using vinegar on hard water spots. We end up with hard water in our sinks and tubs no mater what we do, so I will put vinegar on the hard water spot and let it sit. When I go back later it just wipes right up and there is no chemical after smell.

    Reply
  10. Lisa Staib says:
    June 28, 2017 at 4:52 pm

    Vinegar vinegar vinegar!!
    2/3 white vinegar 1/3 water- shake up in a spray bottle- spray on anything/everything! The best- on upholstered furniture & pillows- turn on the ceiling fans:)

    Reply
  11. Linda Hickman says:
    June 28, 2017 at 9:22 pm

    We have well water, and I have found a great natural, non – toxic mixture of one cup baking soda, one tablespoon Castile soap with enough vinegar to make a paste. Scrubs away all the crummy stuff!

    Reply
  12. Karen Funk says:
    June 29, 2017 at 10:39 am

    I use a Kaywos cloth and just water to clean my windows and they are streak-free! It can be used on just about anything, including cars, mirrors, chrome, stainless steel, etc. I like the fact that I don’t need to use any other cleaning liquids to get the windows shiny and streak-free.

    Reply
  13. Cyndie Parzuhoski says:
    June 29, 2017 at 9:47 pm

    I use Grapefruit Seed Extract or White Thyme Essential Oil as an awesome kitchen or bathroom disinfectant instead of Bleach or spray disinfectants. I dilute approx. 10-15 drops of either in 16 oz. of Distilled water and use on every surface in the kitchen and bathroom after cleaning with my natural green cleaners. I also use White Vinegar de-scale my home water distiller unit. It is much greener than the commercial grade de-scaler that the manufacturer sells (and about 290% cheaper – $1.00 opposed to $29.00!)

    Reply
  14. Faye brown says:
    June 30, 2017 at 7:11 am

    Using a toothbrush to get those small places behind the kitchen and bathroom faucetss and don’t forget the scrubbing of carpeting. It’s the best. That’s my favorite cleaning tip.

    Reply
  15. Linda Everson says:
    July 1, 2017 at 4:26 am

    Use vinegar and water in your carpet cleaner. It gets carpets real clean without chemical cleaners.

    Reply
  16. Mary Kay Amundson says:
    July 1, 2017 at 8:53 am

    Wash windows with four parts water and one part rubbing alcohol. Dry with a squeegee
    No streaks

    Reply
  17. terry steinmetz says:
    July 1, 2017 at 10:48 am

    because of ll my allergies, I use baking soda & vinegar. Favorite tip is to put vinegar in a spray bottle for all cleanup and smelly things. A spray of vinegar on anything and you can go into any room. A good thing when my grown children’s pets visit.

    Reply
  18. susan b says:
    July 3, 2017 at 9:00 am

    My favorite cleaning tip – I’m a lemon, baking soda and vinegar cleaner. I use the lemon in my garbage disposal – add a little ice to de-gunk and freshen. I use the baking soda and vinegar to get rid of build up in my hair and to clean my bathroom!

    Reply
  19. Leisa Joan says:
    July 3, 2017 at 9:43 am

    I use a lot of the 7th Generation products, but am always willing to try new things.

    Reply
  20. Myra Siegel says:
    July 4, 2017 at 2:20 pm

    Hello!

    I prefer non-toxic products for cleaning. They are lots cheaper than their commercial “equivalents,” and much healthier for the planet. For example, I mix a small amount of vinegar with water in a spray bottle for cleaning windows. I use baking soda as an abrasive substance to clean stubborn stains on pots and pans, rather than commercial stain removers.

    Reply
  21. Judy Hand says:
    July 5, 2017 at 7:12 am

    When I finish in the shower I toss baking soda all about. Later I spray with vinegar. I never have to scrub and it stays clean

    Reply
  22. Wanda C. Bamberg says:
    July 5, 2017 at 7:46 am

    I find that it is much easier to wipe down the stove top after every use rather than leave it for a few days. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. 🙂

    Reply
  23. Sylvia Strom says:
    July 5, 2017 at 1:48 pm

    I love my 36″ Premium microfiber dust mop. I have wood floors and it sure beats trying to sweep with a tiny 10″ broom! Then I use a damp microfiber pad and voilà, I’m done- and no chemicals. 😉

    Reply
  24. Shannon H says:
    July 5, 2017 at 5:03 pm

    My favorite cleaning tip is to clean BEFORE you see something! A quick swish with a cleaner and cloth, especially in the bathroom, will prevent any grime, mildew, or mold from ever starting… A five minute daily cleaning goes a LONG way!

    Reply
  25. Rose Ann Wong says:
    July 6, 2017 at 4:48 pm

    When you are leaving one room to go to another, pick up anything that belongs in the room you are going to and take it with you and put it away. That way, you are always picking up, and there is less do put away when you do ‘serious’ cleaning!

    Reply
  26. Ellise Poulsen says:
    July 7, 2017 at 10:47 am

    Check the fridge.. Plain white vinegar. Essential oils! Olive oil. Kirk’s Castile soap.

    Reply
  27. Christy Wilkinson says:
    July 7, 2017 at 11:12 am

    I love baking soda and vinegar for cleaning. So versatile!

    Reply
  28. Joanne E. Brown says:
    July 7, 2017 at 11:46 am

    I have been married for 57 years and I use Mrs. Murphy’s liquid soap for just about all my home cleaning. Floors, bathrooms, furniture etc. I love the way it cleans and smells.

    I would very much like to try your Vermont Sunshine liquid soap. It sounds like it would give my Mrs. Murphy soap a run for the money. I do get your Mag. and read it cover to cover many times.

    Reply
  29. Julie says:
    July 7, 2017 at 12:49 pm

    I use a solution of hot water, a few drops of dish soap, and Borax to clean ceiling fans. It’s amazing how it cuts through the grease and grime!

    Reply
  30. Sherry Godbey says:
    July 7, 2017 at 9:38 pm

    Love making a spray bottle of 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 water to clean countertops, sink, stove top etc to make everything shine .

    Reply
  31. Pam Guerra says:
    July 7, 2017 at 10:27 pm

    I use vinegar to clean … add water to a 50/50 ratio and you can use it to clean windows to adding it in your laundry to freshen your wash

    Reply
  32. Teresa De Bruin says:
    July 8, 2017 at 6:14 am

    My favorite tip is to mix equal parts 20 mule team borax, arm and hammer washing soda and shredded bar soap to do laundry with. Just add 1/4 cup to each load of laundry. Works wonders, and gets the laundry tons cleaner

    Reply
  33. Claudia Bell says:
    July 8, 2017 at 6:21 am

    I mix white vinegar with water, 1 to 1, in a spray bottle. I spray all fruits and vegetables with this solution, non-organic and even organic. For small fruits, let sit for 20 minutes or whatever, rinse well. For larger fruits and vegetables, spray well and then scrub with your hands or a brush, rinse. It may not get all the bad things, but at least I feel I’m getting some of them.

    Reply
  34. Michelle Turner says:
    July 8, 2017 at 9:47 am

    Ammonia is my go to for cleaning burnt on grease off of the cast iron grates on my stove top. Place grates in a ziplock bag with a small amount (1/4 cup approx.) of ammonia, seal it and let set overnight. The fumes do all the work, not the liquid which is why you don’t need much. The next morning most will just rinse off, scrape stubborn spots with a plastic scrubbie!

    Reply
  35. Brooke Zimmerman says:
    July 8, 2017 at 2:12 pm

    I use Norwex cloths & water most of the time. But, I love to occasionally make up some lemon or orange (peel) vinegar!! It works for everything and smells wonderful!

    Reply
  36. Sandi King says:
    July 9, 2017 at 7:43 am

    The home I rent has plastic sink basins that turn yellow if not cleaned on a regular basis – I had tried many different cleaners trying to get our bathroom sink clean and white to no avail. One day I sprinkled baking soda around the sink after wetting it down and used a fingernail brush to scrub off the yellow and to my surprise it started coming off so I continued sprinkling baking soda and scrubbing until I had it all clean. I never thought it would come so clean but it is amazing how nice it looks now. Old ideas are so much better than most of the new chemical concoctions on the market today. I have started using baking soda, vinegar, castile soap, essential oils and other old tyme recipes for cleaning and making things shine and smell good.

    Reply
  37. Joyce Huber says:
    July 9, 2017 at 4:59 pm

    My favorite cleaning tip is for getting scum off of your shower walls. Mix vinegar and blue dawn detergent in a spray bottle. Spray on your shower walls, let it sit awhile and then wipe off with a wet rag.

    Reply
  38. Christine Peterson says:
    July 9, 2017 at 7:43 pm

    When you are cleaning a room or just picking up, place items which belong in other rooms in a basket. Then you can deliver those items to their correct rooms when you are finished.

    Reply
  39. Kim Tribble says:
    July 10, 2017 at 10:47 am

    I love to clean with vinegar and lemon !! I even “cook”the mixture in the microwave for a couple minutes….then just wipe clean !! Easy-peazy. Plus, I also run it through my coffe maker for easy and safe cleaning 😀

    Reply
  40. Carolyn Bentley says:
    July 10, 2017 at 3:21 pm

    My favorite is to clean drains with baking soda, vinegar and boiling. Cleans them out without harsh chemicals and smells good also.

    Reply
  41. Sandy says:
    July 11, 2017 at 5:44 am

    I really believe it’s easier to keep things clean then it is to get them clean. I try to stick to a manageable schedule to keep my home clean. I sometimes say that I’m cleaning the clean spots.

    Reply
  42. Jen in TX says:
    July 11, 2017 at 6:58 am

    I used the equivalent of Liquid Sunshine, along with baking soda, to clean my toilets. Much less expensive than buying toilet cleaner.

    Reply
  43. Heike says:
    July 11, 2017 at 6:59 am

    3 to 1 water and vinegar to clean windows (or anything else), and then wiping dry with old newspaper. Streak free all the time! 🙂

    Reply
  44. Patty says:
    July 11, 2017 at 7:01 am

    I put bleach in a spray bottle for mold on shower tile. Spray and walk away.

    Reply
  45. Kim Fredette says:
    July 11, 2017 at 7:01 am

    I keep a sponge that has a hollow handle filled with half vinegar half detergent and use to keep my bathroom sink, tub and toilet clean daily.

    Reply
  46. Angela Holdeman says:
    July 11, 2017 at 7:04 am

    Put wet sponges in microwave for 2 minutes. They come out clean!

    Reply
  47. Joyce says:
    July 11, 2017 at 7:06 am

    I place a sheet of wax paper on top of my kitchen cupboards. When it comes time to spring clean – so easy! Just roll it off, wipe clean, and put a new layer on! Saves hours of scrubbing.

    Reply
  48. Nikki Hurlbut says:
    July 11, 2017 at 7:07 am

    I’d have to say one of my favorite tips (although it’s more like a hack) is the use of vinegar and lemons! They are both so universal!!

    Reply
  49. Elle Gray says:
    July 11, 2017 at 7:07 am

    My cleaning tip is proactive. We have a roll of waxed paper next to the microwave to cover foods that might splatter. Less mess, less clean up.

    Reply
  50. Bobbie Calgaro says:
    July 11, 2017 at 7:08 am

    We replaced carpet cleaning solution with vinegar water in out home steam cleaner. Gets the job done non toxically.

    Reply

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Author Portrait: maryjane

GIVEAWAY: “Coola, On the Sunny Side”

Posted on June 27, 2017 by maryjane

Thank you for dropping by my Raising Jane Journal to participate in my giveaways! We’ve chosen a winner for this giveaway already (click here for details), but don’t be afraid to leave a comment anyway. I love reading them. And stay tuned for more great MaryJanesFarm giveaways.

Coola’s Organic Suncare Travel Set was one of our Farmgirl Finds in the Aug/Sept issue of MaryJanesFarm. The  quartet of sun-care products—including Sunscreen Spray, After-Sun Lotion, White Tea Moisturizer, and Liplux Lip Balm—comes in a reusable, travel-friendly clutch. All products are free of parabens, PABAs, and phthalates, and are packaged in TSA-approved carry-on sizes.

For a chance to win a FREE 3.4-oz bottle of Coola Sunscreen Spray, tell me about your summer-in-the-sun plans in the comments below. I’ll toss your name into a hat and draw a lucky winner sometime mid-August.

Stay tuned for more magazine-related giveaways. If you’re not yet a subscriber to my magazine, MaryJanesFarm, subscribe here for $19.95/year.

Continue reading →

  1. Lisa Bell says:
    June 26, 2017 at 3:08 am

    I have my bakery business for gluten free bakery that is as organic as possible if not organic then non-gmo and I sell at the Farmer’s Markets and Festivals in my area.
    Also, gardening and mowing, I spend a lot of time outside. Hopefully will squeeze in some hiking and fishing.

    Reply
  2. Denise Sexton says:
    June 26, 2017 at 4:29 am

    I have a beach vacation planned but other than that it will be sun in the yard doing some weeding! but that is good therapy so I look forward to that! 🙂

    Reply
  3. Linda Olson says:
    June 26, 2017 at 4:39 am

    I have used this product and recommend it. Living in South Florida, you can never have enough sunscreen. I walk, swim and ride a bike . . . I never leave home without it. My grandchildren will be coming in August to snorkel, paddle board and whatever. This would be a welcome addition to protect them from the strong sun.

    Reply
  4. CJ Armstrong says:
    June 26, 2017 at 6:08 am

    summer in the sun includes lots of gardening, yard work in my flower beds, rock gardens and herb garden. It also includes glamping with my daughter, day trips to the mountains, morning walks and helping my hubby with cow chores and irrigation.
    Lots of sunshine here in the high altitude of Colorado! Gotta take care of your skin!

    Reply
  5. Lola Friedhoff says:
    June 26, 2017 at 8:21 am

    I spend most of my Summer in my gardens. Living in Montana we live for days when the wind feels GOOD and not freezing our fingers! This has been a late starting Summer ,so I am going to be picking my first of the season peas this week Yea! come on baby potatoes! My favorite dish is the first baby potatoes and peas creamed. Being over 60 I have found skin care is very important , I wish I had started when I was younger. We knew nothing about the uv index when I was a teen , we sunbathed with baby oil and iodine mixed together! Crazy! Now I never even go outside for any length of time without my sun hat.

    Reply
  6. Deborah Moore says:
    June 26, 2017 at 9:15 am

    We are moving to our retirement home this summer and will be in the sun throughout the daytime.

    Reply
  7. Diane Thompson says:
    June 26, 2017 at 11:23 am

    playing with my grandkids outside and in their swimming pool,going to parks, lakes they are 2 boys 3 years old and 1 years old, 2 girls almost 2 in august and other one will be 2 in jan, phoenix the oldest boy 4 in jan , they keep you jumping, work nights so might sleep while their moms watch them , need good tree with shade

    Reply
  8. Krista says:
    June 26, 2017 at 12:11 pm

    So far the boys and I have spent everyday outside playing and working in the garden. Our yard doesn’t have a ton of shade so I move our umbrella around with us. We recently purchased a small swimming pool and have plans to swim most of the summer. Hopefully we can find a weekend to head out camping or boating.

    Reply
  9. Joan Hendrix says:
    June 26, 2017 at 9:08 pm

    No summer vacation planned but I will be outdoors tending my chickens and gardens.

    Reply
  10. Michele Bilka says:
    June 26, 2017 at 10:55 pm

    This summer i’m going to take some time off from working in my gardens to sit by them & soak in their beauty in the sun, visit some gardens along the south & east shores of Lake Michigan & while there enjoy some sun fun at some of our beautiful beaches. Speaking of beautiful, I’ll meet my 2 mo. old great nephew & check out his grandparents new home across from the beach in St. Joseph, MI. What could be better than God’s beauty in nature including family — oh yea, some sun protection! 😉

    Reply
  11. Elizabeth Lazor says:
    June 27, 2017 at 9:09 am

    I walk my 3 dogs each morning in the sunshine…or rain! I love being outdoors, connecting with nature, and breathing in the different fresh and sweet scents that the plants/trees emit.

    Reply
  12. Faye brown says:
    June 27, 2017 at 11:52 am

    Most of my summer time plans include my five grandsons. We will be building a treehouse at our country place this summer and then we will be going to Six Flags over Texas. We are all excited about the amusement park and the waterpark especially! After that we will rest up on the beach in Galveston Texas; we will need the rest!

    Reply
  13. Angela Rose says:
    June 27, 2017 at 12:53 pm

    Staycation by my pool 🌴🌻🍹

    Reply
  14. Mary Kerber says:
    June 27, 2017 at 12:56 pm

    Dogs walks, lunch with friends and plenty outside yard work. Plus taking care of my neighbors pot belly pig and goat. Soaking up the sun and enjoying being outside. We are blessed to have such a beautiful Country.

    Reply
  15. Margaret Howk says:
    June 27, 2017 at 1:14 pm

    This summer is filled with outdoor activities. Tending to my gardens. Cutting wood for winter. Camping, swimming & hiking. Always outside and need skin protection from the sun rays.

    Reply
  16. Nicole Kirk says:
    June 27, 2017 at 1:46 pm

    A trip to Washington and Oregon with my 15 year old niece and my yearly trip to the beach. In between (and other than working) visiting the farmers markets, picking fresh fruits and veggies at local farms, beach, pool time and SUP yoga!

    Reply
  17. amber says:
    June 27, 2017 at 1:52 pm

    Honestly…sit around and wait for Autumn to get here LOL Im a redhead so the sun and I don’t get along. Winning some sunscreen would be a good thing for me! 😉

    Reply
  18. phyllis says:
    June 27, 2017 at 2:04 pm

    As I love to work in my gardens, I must use sunscreen.
    Thank you!

    Reply
  19. Laurie Smith says:
    June 27, 2017 at 3:13 pm

    I will in my backyard taking care of my organic garden and picking lots of blueberries from all my blueberry bushes!

    Reply
  20. Kymberly Pittser says:
    June 27, 2017 at 3:24 pm

    Our summer is swim meets, Lake Hume and the beach. We love being outdoors, but we have to travel to enjoy cooler weather. Living in Bakersfield, CA in the summer time is brutal. Range here is 100-112 and the air quality is aweful.

    Reply
  21. Barb Langlois says:
    June 27, 2017 at 3:33 pm

    Glamping as often as possible. Love being outside as our season is short in Michigan

    Reply
  22. Tanya Conklin says:
    June 27, 2017 at 5:50 pm

    Off to Holden Village- a funky retreat center one can only get to by hiking in or by boat, up Lake Chelan, then a scary old school bus ride up the mountains. It’s an old miner’s village now owned by the Lutheran Chuch. Most open and accepting place on earth. (All welcome!) Love it!

    Reply
  23. Kelly marren says:
    June 28, 2017 at 5:46 am

    Me and my 4 year daughter plan to soak up the sun on our new farm! Tending the garden, chasing chickens, bee stings, and tree house campouts !

    Reply
  24. Dianna Hauf says:
    June 28, 2017 at 6:42 am

    Well, so far my summer ‘fun’ has consisted of GARDENING and harvesting!!!! With this almost over my grand daughter and I are heading out to Huntsville to see the butterfly aviary and Botanical gardens and then a trip to the Birmingham zoo! I can’t wait! Sun AND fun and with my little bestie! 🙂

    Reply
  25. Linda Everson says:
    July 1, 2017 at 4:28 am

    My summer in the sun will be spent in the garden and riding my bicycle.

    Reply
  26. susan b says:
    July 3, 2017 at 8:58 am

    This year my summer in the sun is spent revamping by backyard and deck. So excited to redo the deck and put a roof over it. I’m not a “sun worshiper”, but love to be outside in the fresh air. I’m sure this will get a lot of use!

    Reply
  27. Leisa Joan says:
    July 3, 2017 at 9:40 am

    We just got back from our island vacation-Martha’s Vineyard! so beautiful. we try to take day trips to the beach during the summer, or just sit beside our pool.

    Reply
  28. Myra Siegel says:
    July 4, 2017 at 2:26 pm

    Hello!

    I moved to a new area in November 2016. I’m enjoying exploring some of the many wonderful things to do here, now that the rainy, gloomy winter weather finally ended a month or so ago. This includes visiting parks and attending outdoor programs. I went to an outdoor play on Saturday evening. It was lovely to be able to sit outside after dark and not feel chilly!

    Reply
  29. Marg M says:
    July 5, 2017 at 7:00 am

    We plan to take our 1985 Westfalia across country (we’re hoping it makes it!), visiting the great National Parks and enjoying the beautiful USA!

    Reply
  30. Jen in TX says:
    July 5, 2017 at 7:00 am

    Heading to the mountains of Colorado to escape this Texas heat!

    Reply
  31. Jena says:
    July 5, 2017 at 7:00 am

    We are working our new steer and the chicks are in the pasture. We will go kayaking and swimming. Sun care is essential for work and play!
    Jena

    Reply
  32. Bobbie Calgaro says:
    July 5, 2017 at 7:02 am

    A trip to Myrtle Beach SC in Sept. when it’s not so hot right after Labor Day!

    Reply
  33. Judith S says:
    July 5, 2017 at 7:02 am

    I don’t have any travel plans other than nearby quilt shows. My time in the sun will be spent on the tractor, taking care of our acreage, garden and flowers. Plenty to do outside. I have developed a sun allergy, so I use plenty of sunscreen. Thank you for the opportunity.

    Reply
  34. Susan M. Mattson says:
    July 5, 2017 at 7:02 am

    Whenever we can get away from work, my son & I like to go to Wisconsin Point to let the dogs play in Lake Superior, watch the laker boats come & go, as well as all the pretty sailboats around the lighthouse.

    Reply
  35. Kelli says:
    July 5, 2017 at 7:03 am

    We take our 3 dogs to play with friends at the dog park, go to the local baseball games, work on our property and hang out in the hammock.

    Reply
  36. Linda Lou Crosby says:
    July 5, 2017 at 7:03 am

    Lots of activity here getting some beautiful teams ready for summer wagon trains, with opportunities to get some great photographs. And then visit the community garden and mulch a little bit, and grab some blueberries.

    Reply
  37. Libby Blaha says:
    July 5, 2017 at 7:05 am

    My summer in the sun plan is spending time in my yard and garden, trying to keep up with the mowing and weeding along with getting ready for fall gardening. Actually, very relaxing !!

    Reply
  38. Mary G. says:
    July 5, 2017 at 7:09 am

    My summer always involves lots of hours in my vegetable garden. It’s not perfect (nor always pretty), but it is my ‘happy place’ when I need to be outside after work!

    Reply
  39. Angela K says:
    July 5, 2017 at 7:11 am

    Lots of gardening that is if the bunnies don’t eat all my plants before they even have a chance to grow.

    Reply
  40. Susan Roberts says:
    July 5, 2017 at 7:12 am

    I just returned from a quick vacation in Chicago – had a great time! The rest of the summer is full of relaxation and organizing the house for Fall.

    Reply
  41. Peggy York says:
    July 5, 2017 at 7:13 am

    We have 5 1/2 acres that I mow every 4 to 5 days. I love being outdoors and really need good sunscreen products.

    Reply
  42. Cindy Ratliff says:
    July 5, 2017 at 7:17 am

    I have horses so I am doing a lot of horseback riding! 🤠🐴. I am also taking my grandson to Florida in a few weeks! I have skin lupus and am not supposed to be out in the sun but that is so hard when I’m an outdoorsy kinda girl! I have to have sunscreen when I’m outside or I become one big welt! Lol

    Reply
  43. Dena Jardin says:
    July 5, 2017 at 7:18 am

    My summer in the sun. . . I have a Cottage Kitchen business that makes jams, jellies, condiments and baked goods. This is a busy season picking our fruit as it ripens, cooking over a hot stove and canning the flavors of summer. Our local farmer’s market and other venues find me standing in a booth giving samples of our goods. Summer, it’s a good thing!

    Reply
  44. April says:
    July 5, 2017 at 7:25 am

    No definite plans yet this summer, my oldest son broke his leg, has had two surgeries since with lots of current and future therapy. He’s had a challenged recovery. Our summer will be a quiet one enjoying our back patio, roasting smores and playing board games. I will be climbing in my chaise lounge for a warm summers nap every chance I get!

    Reply
  45. Karen Parry says:
    July 5, 2017 at 7:25 am

    It makes me feel good to use Organic products whenever I can – both into my mouth and on my skin. I have a dear friend who invites me to sit by her beautiful pool with her, and that is when i like to use products that are good for my skin – to go with girl-time that is good for the soul!

    Reply
  46. Pamela says:
    July 5, 2017 at 7:28 am

    Summer-in-the-sun plans include gardening, running with chickens, and visiting my cabin in the woods.

    Reply
  47. Honey says:
    July 5, 2017 at 7:28 am

    We’re attending my nieces wedding being held in a meadow at the base of Mt. Adams in Washington state. It should be beautiful and a bonus family reunion at the same time, camping and lodge stays included. We’re starting the festivities with a hot dog roast the night before, yoga the morning of the ceremony, and birding in Hood River the day after.
    We’re also going on a 6 mile Rail Ride in Tillamook, Oregon! Pedaling our way as a group down the old railroad tracks along the beautiful Oregon coast. Given that these fantastic opportunities take place outside and I had stage one melanoma removed a year ago, the Coola prize would be the perfect protection during these activities.

    Reply
  48. Lisa Harness says:
    July 5, 2017 at 7:29 am

    Love to try this.

    Reply
  49. Judy Cole says:
    July 5, 2017 at 7:29 am

    Summer’s sun is welcome after a hard winter in southern Idaho. In morning hours, I’m outside checking on my garden for dryness, weather is in the 100’s this week. I’m fascinated with growing corn, beans, zucchini, tomatoes, and squash. A couple of flower baskets get water daily. Have introduced clover to the front and back yards to conserve on water and mowing. I recently spent time building a fence from recycled wood for my garden. Frequently I take day trips to see the surrounding small cities and farms. When I’m outside I try to keep my skin protected from the sun, and wear a hat, but haven’t found a good protectant to apply on my skin regularly. Maybe “Coola” will be the answer!

    Reply
    • Judy Cole says:
      July 5, 2017 at 7:33 am

      Wear a hat when outside gardening or on day trips around Idaho. Haven’t found a good skin cover, yet. Maybe “Coola” will help me out while I’m in the sun!

      Reply
  50. Lisa Harris says:
    July 5, 2017 at 7:29 am

    Planning a long camping weekend this month. Looking forward to it!

    Reply

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Author Portrait: maryjane

GIVEAWAY: “Milk Cow Kitchen, On the Sunny Side”

Posted on June 25, 2017 by maryjane

Thank you for dropping by my Raising Jane Journal to participate in my giveaways! We’ve chosen a winner for this giveaway already (click here for details), but don’t be afraid to leave a comment anyway. I love reading them. And stay tuned for more great MaryJanesFarm giveaways.

In the Aug/Sept issue of MaryJanesFarm, I led you here for a chance to win a FREE copy of my Milk Cow Kitchen book. To enter, tell me how MaryJanesFarm has helped you realize your farm dreams in the comments below. I’ll toss your name into a hat and draw a lucky winner sometime mid-August.

milk-cow-kitchen_1070

My book gives you how-to details for keeping a pet milk cow on your suburban half acre, a backyard lot in town … or at least, it’ll help fuel your fantasy of a someday cow grazing outside your kitchen window. Milk cow fantasy aside, my book is chock full of recipes using dairy—75 to be exact—along with 15 step-by-step cheese-making recipes.

Stay tuned for more magazine-related giveaways. If you’re not yet a subscriber to my magazine, MaryJanesFarm, subscribe here for $19.95/year.

Continue reading →

  1. Diane Thompson says:
    June 25, 2017 at 12:15 am

    give me reason to try and start a milk farm someday

    Reply
    • Nancy Haines says:
      July 18, 2017 at 8:13 am

      So many reasons I love your magazine…like no other, even if you are like me a hobby farm girl. I learn so much! Thank you for putting the farmgirl in me.

      Reply
  2. Lisa Bell says:
    June 25, 2017 at 4:02 am

    I grew up with most of my family being farmers. I have a great love & respect for the land, the animals and understanding it truly is a gift from God.
    So my hubby and I have almost 4 acres and horses. We’ve been holding out for 14 years for a “farm”. He’s 61 and I’m 51…I told him we need to take what we have (though it is far from an ideal place, weird lay of property and rock) and grow where we are planted. We are waiting on something that we may not get.
    So we have put in raised garden beds and working on more for next year, we have chickens, blueberry bushes and just planted 131 strawberry plants on an embankment.
    Your magazine opened my eyes and made me realize I can have my dream. So thank you sincerely for sharing your life and making it happen for others.

    Reply
  3. Karen Jasper says:
    June 25, 2017 at 4:06 am

    I really enjoy your magazine. Thru it I have learned to live off the land. I can my own vegetables. We raise our own meat. Thanks for a joyful insite into every day Life.

    Reply
  4. Deb Ritchey says:
    June 25, 2017 at 4:17 am

    I had always wanted chickens and you magazine helped me. I have had five black austrolop chickens for three years. I now get fresh eggs and am entertained by their antics!

    Reply
  5. Rebecca Riccio says:
    June 25, 2017 at 5:52 am

    I have just move to my dream farm. The only thing lacking today are farm animals. We would love to have a cow or 2. For me finding THIS SITE with all the talent and knowledge has helped me learn about all things farming. This book will add to my knowledge base and help us realize our dreams of owing all the farm animals and becoming self sufficant on our farm.
    Becky Riccio

    Reply
  6. amber says:
    June 25, 2017 at 7:03 am

    I went to school in a farming community and most my friends had farms. Some of them were big and some of them were small. I lived the next town over and it was more urban than the town I went to school in. That was all right by me, I always identified as a country girl at heart. Now I’m 30 years old, married and living in the same farming community I went to school in 🙂 We live in “town” but my in-laws live out farther in the farming community. I read your magazine all the time and it had slowly inspired me to take advantage of the extra space that my in-laws always offered on their property. We are now the owners of honey bees and chickens!

    Reply
  7. Ashley Passino says:
    June 25, 2017 at 7:55 am

    I grew up as a half farm girl, (my Dad had a farm but I lived with my mom in the ‘Burbs), I LOVED “escaping” to his place and feeding the chickens, gathering the eggs, and overall tending the many animals (every conceivable farm animal imaginable but sheep & cattle, plus non farm animals), I even enjoyed picking the fruit in his back field (not a yard) orchard). I have since moved many times since then, and have not been able to come back to my roots, but when I discovered your magazine, it was like an ah ha moment went off in my head! Now I grow tomatoes, spaghetti squash, etc, hint at my boyfriend that every self respecting country girl must have a flock of chickens, an use your magazine as a rule book to start preserving food, grow my crops as organically as possible, It even reminded me of my late great Aunt (RIP) as to the many projects and home made dolls, etc, she would make for me and the other kids growing up. It is definitely a flash back to better days, to a time I wish I could relive, if only in the pages of your magazines/books. <3

    Reply
  8. Winnie Nielsen says:
    June 25, 2017 at 12:20 pm

    I have this book even though I live in the city. However, I have enjoyed the butter making r exiles and I painted my jelly cabinet with milk paint as shown in the book as well. This book is fun, inspiring and a must read if you just feel that that Farmgirl at Heart vibe!

    Reply
  9. Linda Hulbert says:
    June 25, 2017 at 3:58 pm

    Mary Jane you have brought me closer to nature, I have a garden in my backyard and plan on getting chickens for fresh eggs. I have learned so much reading your magazine, and enjoy being outside and getting my hands dirty!!! Thank you!!!

    Reply
  10. Madelyn Shields says:
    June 25, 2017 at 7:59 pm

    I am in love with my Mary Jane Farms magazine, I have gleaned so many ideas about various ways to make, cook, and/or enjoy my home. I love the plain life that is anything but plain and I would really like to receive the Milk Cow Kitchen book. Although I cook and have made a lot of different kinds of food, I have never made cheese. I would love to learn how. Thanks for the opportunity to win this great book of learning.

    Reply
  11. Elizabeth Lazor says:
    June 27, 2017 at 9:07 am

    I LOVE the artwork on all of your pages. I save every magazine and use it to make homemade cards. Reading an issue is like going home…..

    Reply
  12. Gaye N. Durst says:
    June 28, 2017 at 9:58 am

    Mary Jane’s Farm helps me more with keeping in touch with my farm girl soul, living ina city and also living with chronic illness, that prevents many dreams from being realized. Keeps me grounded and happy with my little elevated garden plot!

    Reply
  13. Lisa Staib says:
    June 28, 2017 at 4:59 pm

    Still 2 years to go….but just the thought & plan is testimony to the MJ influence- it exists because of you!! Baby garden, baby critters, baby steps…but we’re on our way

    Reply
  14. Cyndie Parzuhoski says:
    June 29, 2017 at 10:01 pm

    I truly believe that being a “farmgirl” is a state of mind, not necessarily where you live. I live in the suburbs, and unfortunately, I am not permitted by law to have chickens or keep bees (trust me, I have checked!), But Mary Janes Farm Magazine has lead me to living a much more natural and farm-inspired” life – in the way I eat, the way I decorate, the way I dress and even the way I think. I am planning/drawing out the plan for the garden I will be planting next year. I am waking earlier and going outside to enjoy a cup of coffee, watching nature at dawn’s first light, instead of watching the morning news. I am much more conscious of the food I purchase and am making sure to go out of my way to patronize farms in the surrounding area and farmer’s markets. I have found a new love of crafting, am turning off the electronics immediately after work and only using them if necessary. I am spending my time with more quality. I am re-finding my appreciation of the simple things in life . . . and I thank MJ’sF magazine for all of this. My dream is to own our own small farm one day, and I hope that it is a dream that becomes a reality.

    Reply
  15. Leisa Joan says:
    July 3, 2017 at 9:39 am

    I agree with other readers that for a lot of us, it’s the state of mind, even though we don’t or cant have the farm we always wanted.

    Reply
  16. Wanda C. Bamberg says:
    July 5, 2017 at 7:49 am

    Leisa said it well. I like the input Mary Jane gives to keep my mind thinking and adding to the tips and knowledge I have found through my journey. I grew up on a a farm in East Texas and thought I would always live in the country. My world did not happen as I dreamed but I take my ways with me wherever I live. Thank you for adding to my world and helping me remember. 🙂

    Reply
    • Virginia Nicholas says:
      July 26, 2017 at 7:30 am

      Hello Wanda! I too, am from East Texas, (Nocona, Montague Co.), and I liked what you said about taking with you. I have done the same. I have lived in Penna, for a long long time, but I will always be a Texan and a country girl! You have a good day and God Bless you! Gin

      Reply
  17. Janet Swearingen says:
    July 5, 2017 at 10:52 am

    Not sure if it has made me full fill my drew but I really enjoy all your articles and what ever you publish. I have your first book like this. My dream has always been to be more self sufficient. Your articles are very helpful. Would very much like to have your new book.

    Reply
  18. Sylvia Strom says:
    July 5, 2017 at 1:55 pm

    I did not grow up on a farm, but have enjoyed past articles about goats and making cheese that I signed up to go to goat school. As a food science teacher I want to teach my students how to make cheese. I am hoping to get the milk from a neighbor since we do not have goats yet. Thanks for a great magazine!

    Reply
  19. Anna Ellenberger says:
    July 7, 2017 at 7:33 am

    I grew up on a dairy farm and I must say your magazine makes it sound like so much more fun than I remember. We had a herd of Holsteins and most of those girls were taller than I am. When I helped put them in their stalls I could barely see over them. They are beautiful, friendly, intelligent ladies and I enjoyed being around them–except when they escaped their pasture and tromped through the vegetable garden. You haven’t lived until you have a knock on the door or a phone call at 2:00 a.m. from a neighbor notifying you your cows are out. Try running through the pasture–look out for that fence!–searching for where they got out and herding them back in, all in the dark, then fixing that hole in the fence so they don’t get out again.

    We also had chickens. Feeding them and collecting eggs was a test of patience. I had to sneak very slowly and carefully into the chicken house because the slightest quick movement would cause the whole flock to take flight in a cloud of dust.

    I haven’t seen any mention of pigs in your magazine but if you don’t have any–well, I’d rather have cows any day! Chasing escaped pigs is even more of an adventure–they are even more agile than cows and can slip through much smaller spaces at a faster speed.

    I have been a town girl since I got married 28 years ago. My husband grew up and worked on farms, too, but we couldn’t afford to buy our own so we had to settle for town life. Your magazine is my fantasy farm–all of the fun and none of the work! Thanks for a great read.

    Reply
  20. April Harrison says:
    July 7, 2017 at 11:23 am

    My husband and I and our 12 year old son just moved to the country. We are fixing up his great grandmas house, which set empty for 15 years. It’s amazing how well the house still is. I thank God every morning for bringing us here. So, that said, we need all the help we can get. I have started a small garden and our goal is to bring chickens and goats into the mix. And possibly cows later. “The Peaceful Porch” in the Aug/Sept issue sums up my feelings for this house! Your book would be an awesome addition to my library! Thanks so much for your time!

    Reply
  21. Christy Wilkinson says:
    July 7, 2017 at 11:42 am

    Your magazine has become such an inspiration for me. To be honest i did not think that when the first few issues arrived! My mom had gotten me a subscription as a birthday gift. Initially i almost dreaded reading it because i thought i was such a failure compared to the women i would read about. But soon i realized how much i identified with the ‘farmgirl’ experiences and values of the staff from MaryJane as well as the many featured articles. You have a way of welcoming the reader, giving me a sense of friendship and even family. Eventually i realized that the message in your magazine is not to compare, but to inspire. From cover to cover it seems to say, “Here’s what i did; you can do it too!” Needless to say, i begged my mom to continue my subscription!

    We live offgrid in a home (honestly) my husband built. I want to say “we” but the truth is that he has done all the labor. I homeschool our 6, soon to be 7, children. We try to grow all our own food on our ‘homestead’. Each year we produce a little bit more. We just put up a full size greenhouse, my dream come true. We raise ducks so far, but hope to continue to goats soon. I still dream of a dairy cow too.

    Thank you for sharing your experiences and wisdom. You have been such an inspiration along the way, just in surviving. But as we continue to get our feet under us, we look forward to thriving to the point of selling lots of products from our own land and hands.

    Reply
  22. Teresa De Bruin says:
    July 8, 2017 at 6:18 am

    Lets me know that the old fashioned ways of cooking and baking are still alive and that people are still self sufficient in the 21st century. That that life style has not completely died out. It is alive and well

    Reply
  23. Amy says:
    July 8, 2017 at 7:19 am

    This magazine inspires the need to do things from scratch and what I want to do when I own my dream farm someday. Having looked at this book from a library, it is definitely something I would want to add to my library. I know I will want a cow for all my dairy making needs.

    Reply
  24. Nina Pamir says:
    July 8, 2017 at 7:39 pm

    I love reading your magazine. Gardening and recipes are two of my passions I look forward to each new magazine to see what I can learn

    Reply
  25. Sandi King says:
    July 9, 2017 at 7:19 am

    I just got your Aug/Sep magazine yesterday and have read most of it already. I have been looking at the ‘Milk Cow Kitchen’ ad in every magazine since I started receiving them. If I don’t win this book I will purchase it as soon as I can afford to on my limited budget. I have chickens, and a small plot for tomatoes and peppers, not much of a farm but I am a country farm girl at heart. I am so glad I found your magazine. I gave a gift subscription to my sister-in-law and she loves it. Looking forward to more great articles and information on the simpler side of life.

    Reply
  26. Susan Kellen says:
    July 9, 2017 at 8:52 am

    MaryJane’s Farm magazine helps me to escape to the farmgirl life when real life gets too hectic.

    Reply
  27. Sandy says:
    July 11, 2017 at 5:48 am

    Mary Janes Farm has given us the confidence and knowledge that WE CAN DO THIS

    Reply
  28. Jana Blackwood says:
    July 11, 2017 at 3:28 pm

    I grew up as a suburbanite and was ok with that until I had a few birthdays as a grown up. Mary Jane’s Farm has helped me to realize that sometimes the old ways are better. I love hearing from others in the magazine how other women have discovered this also.

    Reply
  29. J. Devine says:
    July 11, 2017 at 3:30 pm

    I don’t have a farm but I am working on a vegetable garden & herb garden on my rural property. Your magazine & website offer so much inspiration & so many helpful hints, just when I start to get discouraged. And after a good day in the yard, I can escape into your homespun magazine. Thank you.

    Reply
  30. Deborah Cunningham says:
    July 12, 2017 at 10:51 am

    My husband and I have finally gotten the land and home we always wanted, one + acre treed lot, love it, your magazine inspires me to try chickens. My grandmother always had chickens and I think they are so pretty. The info. you share makes it easy to see I can do it. I want you to know this last issue is just chuck full of very informative articles. Love it, keep it up. (Aug/Sept)

    Reply
  31. Heather Ely says:
    July 12, 2017 at 5:49 pm

    I have always lived on a farm , however I have learned more advanced sewing through maryjanes

    Reply
  32. Jill Hanson says:
    July 13, 2017 at 4:23 pm

    No longer farming, but enjoy it all!

    Reply
  33. Tracey Sonmor says:
    July 15, 2017 at 6:16 am

    I grew up on a mini farm . We had chickens pigs ducks a horse but never a cow. They look beautiful. I would love to learn about them. We now live in the city but dream about moving to the country. Maybe someday.

    Your magazine is inspirational beautiful and refreshing in a world that lacks much of this. Thank you for this breath of fresh air.

    Reply
  34. Renée Cariglia says:
    July 16, 2017 at 12:54 pm

    Born and raised in quaint, rustic Upstate New York, but now living in Reno, I figured let me bring RURAL NEW YORK back here, at least until I relocate back to Rome, New York! So, 2 months/$2,500.09 later, here I am- my 1 bedroom apartment walls serve as a rustic green pallette to my Americana, Cabin, Farm, Rockwell/Cassat/Monet/Van Gough/Kincaide/Peter Rabbit/Pooh/Raggedy Andy keepsakes, popping with sunflowers, roses, while being gently tended to by my decorative chicken, cow, pig and sheep artistic decor♡!

    Reply
    • Virginia Nicholas says:
      July 26, 2017 at 7:53 am

      Dear Renee, You’ve got the right idea! Surround yourself with the things you love! You sound like an artist? I am…sounds like we have similar collections. I am a Texan who lives in PA but I have driven through Rome NY many times. It is truly beautiful there. I hope you make it back there, if that’s where your heart is. Good luck, Gin Nicholas

      Reply
  35. Sunnie says:
    July 18, 2017 at 6:59 am

    This looks like a great book, pretty cover!

    Reply
  36. Mary G. says:
    July 18, 2017 at 7:02 am

    I’ve always had a simmering dream to own a small farm and promote agricultural awareness/education, but MaryJane’s Farm has shown me that such dreams have the possibility of becoming a reality.

    Reply
  37. Denise Sexton says:
    July 18, 2017 at 7:03 am

    I don’t have a farm but a small yard so I get to dream through your magazine! I have used your tips and recipes and love the crafty articles too. so no matter whether my “farm” of two cucumber plants, one pepper plant and one patio tomato plant or if it were a real farm, I love reading your magazine and like I said it lets me dream!!

    Reply
  38. Jensine Bourman says:
    July 18, 2017 at 7:03 am

    I have a Holstein calf that I brought home in the back seat of my Ford Focus. 🙂 Looking forward to when she is big enough to be become a momma and I will then be a first time milkmaid!

    Reply
  39. Jennifer Britain says:
    July 18, 2017 at 7:03 am

    I receive the inspiration to live my dream of living in the country raising cattle and chickens. Growing my own food. I love the stories of women doing what they love and it’s totally possible.

    Reply
  40. Tami Lewis says:
    July 18, 2017 at 7:04 am

    I realized that a lot of the things I was already doing “counted” . And that farming/homesteading didn’t have to be “ugly”. My ideals fit right in!

    Reply
  41. Patty says:
    July 18, 2017 at 7:05 am

    We as women can do this!

    Reply
  42. Christina Marsden says:
    July 18, 2017 at 7:06 am

    First, I have to say I love the Mary Jane Farm Magazine. There is so much in them that I wish I had more time to sit and enjoy reading them. These magazines have been an encouragement to me to keep things as healthy and natural as I can, they are also great encouragement in the do it yourself area (I’ve always believed that “just because I’m a girl doesn’t mean I can’t do it”). Thank you for living your dream and encouraging us (also showing us it’s possible) to live our dreams as well. I didn’t know as though I’ll ever have my own cow, but I am fortunate enough to have a mother who has one. I would love to get this book and share it with my mom!

    Reply
  43. Laura Kusik says:
    July 18, 2017 at 7:06 am

    Mary Jane Farms is a beautiful magazine that allows an urban girl to dream of successful small scale farming.

    Reply
  44. Judy Goodwin says:
    July 18, 2017 at 7:10 am

    I enjoy MJF because it gives info and ideas for the female farmer.

    Reply
  45. Barb Innes says:
    July 18, 2017 at 7:13 am

    Oh …the farm memories..my great aunt and uncle had a farm…I learned to ride horses, gather eggs from the chicken coop, and gather walnuts from the trees by their creek. I think these early years helped me relish nature And the farm community. Your magazine and books bring those years to the forefront. Thanks!

    Reply
  46. Linda Lou Crosby says:
    July 18, 2017 at 7:13 am

    Mary Jane’s Farm is such a fun-fllled, farm idea-filled magazine. It helped me get the courage to make curtains for my little Rpod RV. And they look so cute. I love the farm girl focus and give my friends subscriptions every year to help with their farm dreams

    Reply
  47. Jen in TX says:
    July 18, 2017 at 7:13 am

    Motivates me to do what I can on my small suburban lot, even if it’s just grow some hot peppers.

    Reply
  48. Juanita Mathews says:
    July 18, 2017 at 7:13 am

    My father’s family were farmers and even though I live in the city, your magazine helps me maintain a little bit of country in my life. Thanks!

    Reply
  49. Dorothy Nootbaar says:
    July 18, 2017 at 7:13 am

    I have always loved nature but have spent most of my life in the big city. MJF has given my soul a place to rest. I get ideas on how to bring nature into my home as well as the knowledge that nature really is just outside- I just have to make sure to make time for it.
    I’ve always wanted a cow and this book would help me realize that dream even if it’s only in my mind!

    Reply
  50. Melissa Beals says:
    July 18, 2017 at 7:13 am

    My farm dreams were shaped by MaryJanesFarm magazine. At first I wanted the full-running farm with every animal imaginable, but my dreams have been molded over the years. Now I fully embrace the ‘anyone can be a farmgirl’ mantra, and love both city and country living in different ways. I garden organically every year, but still like my technology.

    Reply

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Author Portrait: maryjane

GIVEAWAY: “Chocolate, On the Sunny Side”

Posted on June 24, 2017 by maryjane

Thank you for dropping by my Raising Jane Journal to participate in my giveaways! We’ve chosen a winner for this giveaway already (click here for details), but don’t be afraid to leave a comment anyway. I love reading them. And stay tuned for more great MaryJanesFarm giveaways.

In the Aug/Sept issue of MaryJanesFarm, I led you here for a chance to win a FREE sampling of our very own MaryJanesFarm High Attitude organic chocolate. To enter, tell me how you feel when you eat chocolate:) in the comments below. I’ll toss your name into a hat and draw a lucky winner sometime mid-August.

chocolate-bar_0685

Stay tuned for more magazine-related giveaways. If you’re not yet a subscriber to my magazine, MaryJanesFarm, subscribe here for $19.95/year.

Continue reading →

  2. Joan Hendrix says:
    June 24, 2017 at 4:16 am

    Ah chocolate! How does it make me feel? It makes me feel like the best things are the little things. Like the best reward after a long day. Like why would anyone mess around with the fruity or sour treats when they could be having CHOCOLATE?! The first thing gone from my Easter basket, the chocolate eggs of course, then the jelly beans, THEN the chocolate bunny, saved for last. When I was a girl milk was my favorite but now, no, make mine dark please. The days that include a piece of dark and a glass of red wine… The sweetest! XO

    Reply
  3. Michelle Kirby says:
    June 24, 2017 at 5:00 am

    I have a complicated relationship with chocolate. It’s like the bad boy I should give up, but can’t.

    Reply
  4. Corine Runnion says:
    June 24, 2017 at 6:20 am

    Sweet indulgence, to be savored with each bite,
    They used to have a commercial with calgon
    “Take me away” well that is chocolate you can take a bite and is like a calming, soothing bliss.

    Reply
  5. Diana Shelton says:
    June 24, 2017 at 7:30 am

    Savory, eating a square of dark chocolate is heavenly. Besides the great Health benefits… dark chocolate is full of good antibiotics.

    Reply
  6. CJ Armstrong says:
    June 24, 2017 at 7:55 am

    CHOCOLATE? Heavenly, supreme, extraordinary, it’s very necessary to my well-being!
    CJ

    Reply
  7. Elisabeth Perkins says:
    June 24, 2017 at 8:37 am

    Chocolate is my favorite. I love Dark Chocolate. It just makes me feel good:) Every day I have to have some form of chocolate. It is definitely one of my weaknesses.

    Reply
  8. Rebecca Darrington says:
    June 24, 2017 at 12:19 pm

    Chocolate!! Yum! Good memories come with the word chocolate. Well, except for the time when I was a child and thought moms baking chocolate was a candy bar! Yeah, not good!!

    Reply
  9. Deb Ritchey says:
    June 24, 2017 at 4:32 pm

    Yum! It makes very happy!

    Reply
  10. Madelyn Shields says:
    June 25, 2017 at 8:04 pm

    Chocolate is a girls best friend! I would love to indulge in a chocolate from Mary Jane Farms, as it is a delightful comfort food and makes me feel sweet and peaceful.

    Reply
  11. Michele Bilka says:
    June 25, 2017 at 9:41 pm

    A GOOD chocolate is a yummy indulgent slice of heaven that you’re only willing to share with those you love…..sunny blue skies with puffy fairy clouds.

    Reply
  12. Evelyn Matheson says:
    June 26, 2017 at 2:10 pm

    Chocolate is absolutely a staple in my “Mary Jane” style kitchen cupboard (and in my “stash” secret drawer and upstairs in my locked workroom, etc., etc.). It’s like I have multiple personalities when it comes to chocolate — dark chocolate when I’m concentrating on something complex, feeling frustrated or perhaps deeply thinking then dark it is — milk chocolate when I’m feelin’ a lil’ “sweet” — white only if flavored like raspberry and that is only when I am feeling “fruitie”!!!!!!!!

    Reply
  13. Elizabeth Lazor says:
    June 27, 2017 at 9:20 am

    Chocolate is divinity on my tongue! I let a small bite slowly dissolve in my mouth and it brings me to the present moment…every delicious detail of it helps me to release past and future thoughts. I stop for a few moments and savor the present moment!

    Reply
  14. Faye brown says:
    June 27, 2017 at 11:21 am

    Chocolate makes me feel like snuggling up in a warm blanket in front of a fireplace with a glass of red wine and my lover beside me enjoying the smooth, decadent taste that only chocolate can provide. What else can I say!

    Reply
  15. Gaye N. Durst says:
    June 28, 2017 at 9:53 am

    Bliss!

    Reply
  16. Marcella Donner says:
    June 28, 2017 at 2:33 pm

    Chocolate makes me feel so good I can imagine my face buried in my horse’s mane on a sunny day with the promise of a meandering ride through a flowering meadow!

    Reply
  17. Cyndie Parzuhoski says:
    June 29, 2017 at 10:03 pm

    One word – Euphoric.

    Reply
  18. Linda Everson says:
    July 1, 2017 at 4:30 am

    I feel happy when i eat chocolate.

    Reply
  19. Leisa Joan says:
    July 3, 2017 at 9:36 am

    Just love dark chocolate. I have a jar at work, and call it my emergency stash!

    Reply
  20. Myra Siegel says:
    July 4, 2017 at 2:30 pm

    Hi!

    I love, love, love chocolate, especially dark chocolate! Eating chocolate makes me feel happy. It brightens my mood.

    Reply
  21. Cheryl Herron says:
    July 5, 2017 at 6:27 am

    A piece of chocolate everyday seems to lift my spirits in the hectic world we live in. I have enjoyed everything from a Hershey’s bar to very fine gourmet chocolate, but mostly the simpler the better. One piece of a simple Dove chocolate in the afternoon gets me through each day in a better mood and feeling satisfied.

    Reply
  22. Honey says:
    July 5, 2017 at 7:42 am

    The chocolate experience begins with the first tear in the wrapper, the scent wafts up and fills you with anticipation of the deliciousness to come. The slow melt on your tongue continues to make this a relaxing, calming event for your senses.

    Reply
  23. Wanda C. Bamberg says:
    July 5, 2017 at 7:51 am

    Decadent, Splurgy, Calm, Wistful, Dreamy….. 🙂

    Reply
  24. adele says:
    July 5, 2017 at 1:41 pm

    Wonderful.

    Reply
  25. Jenny Smith says:
    July 6, 2017 at 3:02 pm

    I feel very lucky, satisfied, and calm…i have made that exhausting climb to the top of the highest mountain. Finally my efforts have paid off. My reward. Heaven. Ok.there is some guilt, because im a diabetic but dark chocolate is ok sometimes….

    Reply
  26. Pam Watros says:
    July 7, 2017 at 8:48 am

    My mouth is watering so much, that I have to swallow. Just the thought of the smoothy richness, the creamy wonder, the sweetness melting in my mouth creates a desperate urge to rip the package open and devour!

    Reply
  27. Christy Wilkinson says:
    July 7, 2017 at 11:47 am

    Well I’m sure chocolate induces all those happy endorphins, so eating it can feel so good. But i always feel better when its organic! And when it is fair trade and sustainable, i feel as if i am helping to make the world a better place by eating it!!

    Reply
  28. Michelle Turner says:
    July 8, 2017 at 9:53 am

    content & comforted

    Reply
  29. Pam Bearden says:
    July 8, 2017 at 11:11 am

    I love LOVE chocolate!!! I have had a relationship with chocolate as long as I can remember! It calls my name and I answer at any given moment! It’ soo good, even just thinking about it!!!

    Reply
  30. Nina says:
    July 8, 2017 at 7:45 pm

    Chocolate is such a great comfort food. I love dark chocolate and it’s health benefits

    Reply
  31. Sandi King says:
    July 9, 2017 at 7:53 am

    Chocolate anything, milk, cookies, candy, cakes, frosting, ice cream, is panacea to my emotional side. I keep a large bar of ‘dark’ chocolate in the fridge for ‘craving’ attacks so that I don’t eat myself out of house and home, when I don’t have anything else that will satisfy it. It is extremely soothing to let a small piece sit on your tongue and melt slowly and stop the craving that torments the body and soul.

    Reply
  32. Joyce Huber says:
    July 9, 2017 at 5:03 pm

    Wonderful!!!!!

    Reply
  33. Sandy says:
    July 11, 2017 at 5:51 am

    Chocolate makes me feel happy. I fit it into a healthy diet so that I don’t feel like I’m giving all of the special treats up.

    Reply
  34. Jana Blackwood says:
    July 11, 2017 at 3:30 pm

    Chocolate makes me feel happy, serene, blissful, and rewarded. Chocolate is certainly a umami taste. I love that this chocolate is gluten free!

    Reply
  35. J. Devine says:
    July 11, 2017 at 3:33 pm

    Chocolate, melting slowly on my tongue, filling me with that wonderful taste… can’t be beat. It’s like Ahhhhhhhh.

    Reply
  36. Carol Johnson says:
    July 12, 2017 at 3:42 am

    Pampered! All those wonderful, healthy bites!

    Reply
  37. Deborah Cunningham says:
    July 12, 2017 at 10:57 am

    Chocolate especially with peanut butter or peanuts are my favorite. Back when Reece’s were 5 cents and I found a quarter, I would go to my local grocery store across the street and buy 5 of them from Mr. Vermilion and eat all of them one after the other. YUM!!!

    Reply
  38. Heather Ely says:
    July 12, 2017 at 5:45 pm

    Chocolate is my first love my husband is the second. Just kidding…maybe

    Reply
  39. Jill Hanson says:
    July 13, 2017 at 4:14 pm

    Dark Chocolate satisfying!

    Reply
  40. Renée Cariglia says:
    July 16, 2017 at 1:06 pm

    Eating chocolate brings me back decades to when I was a child, excitedly skipping down Dominic Street with my Cousins while my Grandma Minnie treated us to “penny candy” at Giardino ‘ s corner store in East Rome, New York. I can still see the confections beckoning us Grandkids through the scratched, worn glass case and smell elderly Mrs. Giardino ‘ s basil fragranced brown weathered hands as she gently rested our tootsie rolls in the crisp brown paper bags. Those were the days…♡

    Reply
  41. Sandy B says:
    July 18, 2017 at 9:21 am

    Chocolate makes me feel wonderful.

    Reply
  42. Tammy says:
    July 18, 2017 at 3:36 pm

    Chocolate makes me slow down and pay attention to it, take a deep breath and just enjoy the moment.

    Reply
  43. julie veneklasen says:
    July 19, 2017 at 9:23 am

    I try to eat chocolate slowly to savor it as long as I can!

    Reply
  44. Heidi Siek says:
    July 20, 2017 at 1:55 pm

    When I go a while without sweets, a good piece of chocolate is so indulgent! When I was younger I was given 1/2 lb box of a fine chocolate every Christmas. If I was in a bad mood I’d put Vivaldi’s 4 seasons on the turntable with headphones on, drown out the rest of the world & eat a piece of my chocolate. OR if I had reason to celebrate, I’d treat myself to a piece.

    Reply
  45. Nicole L. says:
    July 20, 2017 at 7:24 pm

    When I eat chocolate I feel very indulgent – it is a true treat!

    Reply
  46. Carol S says:
    July 21, 2017 at 7:04 am

    Chocolate is my personal getaway, picker-upper, and smiley face.

    Reply
  47. Helena Berg says:
    July 21, 2017 at 7:22 pm

    Decadent and a little naughty. 🙂

    Reply
  48. Ellen Feinsilber says:
    July 23, 2017 at 9:51 am

    Trying to win the give away, wold like to see if my sweet daughter likes it. She loves to cook with chocolate. Always on the look out for good chocolate.

    Reply
  49. Sara Holzem says:
    July 25, 2017 at 5:28 am

    I feel like I just gave myself a little treat!

    Reply
  50. Desiree christopher says:
    July 25, 2017 at 7:01 am

    This looks deliicous

    Reply

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Author Portrait: maryjane

Winners!!! Giveaways: Blue Moon

Posted on June 22, 2017 by maryjane

In the June/July issue of MaryJanesFarm, “Blue Moon,” I led you here to my daily journal for a chance to win some special giveaways. Following, you’ll find the winners of all four giveaways. Thank you to all who participated by leaving comments, and stay tuned for more giveaways in each issue of MaryJanesFarm. If you’re not yet a subscriber to MaryJanesFarm, subscribe here for $19.95/year.

——

The winner of my “All American Clothespins, Blue Moon” giveaway is Yvette, who left this comment in response to “Tell me your favorite memory about hanging laundry on the line.” (519 comments!)

“I absolutely love the fresh smell of clothes and sheets dried on the clothesline! When I was a young child, my “blankie” had to be washed while I was asleep. One time when I woke up without it, I went outside to find it on the line. My father snapped a photo of me standing at the clothesline hanging onto my blanket with thumb in mouth.”

——

The winner of my “Moo-n Over Main Street, Blue Moon” giveaway is Honey, who left this comment in response to “Tell me if you wrote a children’s book about an animal, what that animal would be.” (42 comments!)

“This is an easy question to answer. My very first dog (which I didn’t get until I was an adult) was a dalmatian. She was a great dog, but unfortunately, ended up having diabetes in her later years. So my book would be titled “Daisy, the Diabetic Dalmatian.” I’d use her story to educate children about diabetes, insulin shots, and how you can still be a happy energetic dog, even with this disease.”

——

The FIVE winners of my “The Promise Girls, Blue Moon” giveaway are Suzanna Drozd-Kowalski, Lori Morton, Linda Lou Crosby, Mary Lakota, and Joan Booth, who left the following comments in response to “Tell me how long you’ve known your BFF.” (377 comments!)

Suzanna Drozd-Kowalski: “I have know my BFF for 58 years! I was 1 and she was 2 years old when we all first moved to a new housing development. My earliest memories of her were with bandages over her eyes. She was loosing her eyesight slowly. I’ve been her matron of honor at her three weddings, we’ve been through thick and then. We started off in WNY, across the miles of this country. From NJ where she was a professor at Rutgers, to Kentucky, to Alaska, to Wisconsin. Me from Cheektowaga, NY, to Corfu, NY, to Lake Orion, MI. We pick up the phone and talk as if it were yesterday we last talked. I flew 4 or 5 times to Alaska to see her and she’s coming to the lake this summer. She’s now legally blind. Love her like a sister!”

Lori Morton: “I have a BFF that is like my big sister and aunt to my Kiddo’s. We have known each other for almost 40 years. She is Awesome!! My other BFF is definitely my sweet Daughter, and she just turned 40 this year. My BFFs are truly my Heart. Thank you for chance to win this great book too!

Linda Lou Crosby: “My BFF is a wonderful person I have known since 1991 … 26 years. She is creative, fun, and a terrific pal. She hired me to work for her in 1991 and we had many adventures doing communication work, frequently on the edge of the possible, but always accomplished what we needed to do. She makes me smile. Wonder what mischief we shall discover next?”

Mary Lakota: “I have 2 BFFs. All 3 of us have daughters who are great friends who graduated from high school together. Suzanne and I met at church. Her daughter Lori and my daughter Holly were in Sunday School and were confirmed together and Denise and I met when her daughter Heather and Holly were in cheerleading together. Suzanne, Denise, and I try to get together at least once a month. Our daughters talk to each other as often as they can. What’s even nicer is that our husbands became good friends.”

Joan Booth: “My BFF and I have known each other for 35 years. Our husbands were friends. Through thick and thin, we have been there for each other, my divorce, children’s marriages, grandchildren, great grandchildren, vacations, yard sales, hospital stays, moves, concerts, and deaths of our parents. We have cried and laughed til we cried. The memories we have made will last for the rest of our lives. Last year, I moved from the Northeast to the South, and although 1,200 miles separate us, we get together a couple times a year and pick up where we left off. I think we were related in a former life and hope that in a future life, we’ll be right by each other’s side.”

——

The winner of my “Glamping, Blue Moon” giveaway is Debbe J, who left this comment in response to “Tell me about your glamping plans for this summer.” (102 comments!)

“I’m a glamping newbie. I go camping with a group of women every year by the beach, but this year, I’m going my way. I bought a TeePee tent and am bedazzling it my way. Would love the book for more inspiration. Glamping Game On!”

Thank you to the over 1,000 women who responded with such thoughtful comments! If you’re one of our winners, keep an eye out for an e-mail from the farm.

Continue reading →

  1. Lori Morton says:
    June 21, 2017 at 7:52 am

    Thank you for the book!! Am excited..and Blessed!!

    Ohio Hugs!! 🙂

    Reply

  2. Pingback: GIVEAWAY: “All American Clothespins, Blue Moon” | Raising Jane Journal

  3. Pingback: GIVEAWAY: “Moo-n Over Main Street, Blue Moon” | Raising Jane Journal

  4. Pingback: GIVEAWAY: “The Promise Girls, Blue Moon” | Raising Jane Journal

  5. Pingback: GIVEAWAY: “Glamping, Blue Moon” | Raising Jane Journal

  6. Krista says:
    June 21, 2017 at 10:39 am

    Congratulations to all you lucky ladies! Enjoy your wonderful new prizes!

    Reply
  7. Debbe J. says:
    June 21, 2017 at 1:34 pm

    Thank you!!! I’m so excited for the glamping book!! Thanks again for your generosity!
    Debbe J

    Reply

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Author Portrait: maryjane

GIVEAWAY: “Glamping, Blue Moon”

Posted on April 27, 2017 by maryjane

Thank you for dropping by my Raising Jane Journal to participate in my giveaways! We’ve chosen a winner for this giveaway already (click here for details), but don’t be afraid to leave a comment anyway. I love reading them. And stay tuned for more great MaryJanesFarm giveaways.

For a chance to win a free copy of my Glamping with MaryJane book, tell me about your glamping plans for this summer in the comments below. I’ll toss your name into a hat and draw a lucky winner sometime mid-June.

Stay tuned for more magazine-related giveaways. If you’re not yet a subscriber to my magazine, MaryJanesFarm, subscribe here for $19.95/year.

Continue reading →

  1. Karen says:
    April 26, 2017 at 2:09 am

    Mid June I will pack up the camper and head to the woods. A little campfire and a lot of quiet time with mother nature. We all need that get back to nature time. It makes us appreciate what God has given us. Out before daybreak listening to the birds and all creatures waking up. How peaceful!

    Reply
  2. Susan says:
    April 26, 2017 at 5:03 am

    Please toss my name into the hat! I don’t have any glamping plans for the summer but absolutely love seeing how these campers are beautifully and uniquely decorated. I don’t have a glamper but here in Florida we have plenty of mosquitoes to share if anyone wants to try glamping in the summertime down south! Thank you!

    Reply
  3. amber says:
    April 26, 2017 at 5:55 am

    We usually do a family trip and do a couple days at the end of summer at a local camp ground. Such a nice way to relax and unwind!

    Reply
  4. Winnie Nielsen says:
    April 26, 2017 at 6:19 am

    Since I don’t own a trailer, I personally don’t have any glamping plans for this Summer. But…..my youngest daughter grabbed my copy of this book the first year I bought it and it now resides at her house! I have requested multiple times that she bring it home when she comes, but alas, I always get the line: Mom, I just like to look at it and dream! She fell in love with the whole idea and hopes to one year trade up her tent and back packing gear for a tricked out trailer. She currently has a Subaru so she just needs the little trailer. Me, I would love to have my OWN copy again!! LOL!!

    Reply
  5. Colleen Maki says:
    April 26, 2017 at 6:51 am

    I’m so happy to say that I already have this book, LOVE IT, and continually go back to it, especially when the snow is hip-deep here in the Upper Peninsula. However, I would LOVE to gift it to a dear friend of mine, who is pondering a small camper for this summer.

    Reply
    • Colleen Maki says:
      April 27, 2017 at 4:49 am

      Totally forgot to tell my camping plans. . . ANYWHERE on the shores of Lake Superior (alias “Heaven”) or in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (my homeland).

      Reply
  6. Denise Sexton says:
    April 26, 2017 at 6:58 am

    I can only glamp through your magazine. BUT I do love to read it and any emails that are sent out about glamping. so have fun for those of us that can only read and dream about it!!

    Reply
  7. Sandi King says:
    April 26, 2017 at 7:30 am

    Glamping? Never been. Camping, yes I have. Not so often in my later years, but when I was a younger woman, I remember living the whole summer at Yosemite in California. My family went there every summer we lived in California to enjoy the great outdoors and we took two great big Army tents, Army cots (boy they were hard to put together on the last end) wash tubs for clothes and dishes, plenty of summer wear, games to play outdoors, hiking boots, swimsuits, dishes, food, oil lanterns for nights, just everything we would need to stay a while. My dad would go into town to buy supplies when we would run low on something, but we never went home early. It was the most memorable time of my life. I remember the whole family being there, mom, dad, dad’s mother, my two brothers and their wives and my 2 half brothers, grandma’s friend, mom’s brothers and sisters would sometimes show up, our dog Ginger, my husband and some other friends of ours who would show up and visit with us. It was the most memorable time of my life when family gatherings were often and meant a lot to a lot of people. Miss those wonderful days.

    Reply
  8. Debbe J. says:
    April 26, 2017 at 7:43 am

    I’m a glamping newbie. I go camping with a group of women every year by the beach but this year I’m going my way. I bought a TeePee tent and am bedazzling it my way. Would love the book for more inspiration. Glamping Game On!

    Reply
  9. Merry Nelson says:
    April 26, 2017 at 8:14 am

    We love taking our vintage teardrop trailer out to enjoy God’s creation! We always have passersby who want a little look inside or check out the “kitchen” area. Your book might help add a little more glamour to our camping experience!

    Reply
  10. Deon Matzen says:
    April 26, 2017 at 8:26 am

    We are glampers. Though we do not have an ancient trailer anymore, but a more modern one, we go in style, embroidered tablecloths, flowers, good food, floral outdoor rug, lots of twinkle lights. It is like living a different life from our time at home. Isn’t that what camping is about? Doing something totally different than everyday! How about this weekend?

    Reply
  11. Tracy Roy says:
    April 26, 2017 at 9:48 am

    I discovered your magazine (ordered for myself, and have given two gift subscriptions) after stumbling on Sisters on the Fly somewhere on the internet, and shortly thereafter became a vintage trailer owner: A 1968 Aladdin that was in pretty good shape. It got new shoes, plumbing, a new water tank, fridge, sway bars, electric brake hook up, and I made all the cushions and the matching scalloped awning on a vintage Singer Featherweight 221. Taking it out next week to the Oregon coast!

    Reply
  12. Krista says:
    April 26, 2017 at 10:54 am

    We currently don’t have any glamping plans yet. Due to my husbands job, our camping trips are spur of the moment. My goal is to go at least once this year. It will be so fun taking the boys and letting them explore nature.

    Reply
  13. Barbara D says:
    April 26, 2017 at 12:08 pm

    I tent camp but dream about glamping. Love to win the book as a start!

    Reply
  14. Avis says:
    April 26, 2017 at 3:13 pm

    I would love to start GLAMPING and this book would inspire me! Due to so much livestock I need to turn my veranda into a stay at home Glamping area that I can share with anyone that stops by for a visit.

    Reply
  15. Ione Norling says:
    April 26, 2017 at 8:03 pm

    I’ve always enjoyed camping . This year I’m kicking it up a level
    with my Glamper scamper ( an older Scamp ) Girlie flowers , Lacey curtains , fancy
    bed , fun floor , great classic music and sparkles to throw in the
    campfire . I need more energy and ideas from this Glamping publication .
    I’m naming my camper Whimsey Me .

    Reply
  16. Elizabeth Lazor says:
    April 27, 2017 at 4:14 am

    Three of my four sons are Eagle Scouts and I have gone on numerous Boy Scout camping trips…but that is FAR from glamping!!!!!! I grew up camping in NH and VT and have taken my kids cross country camping when I was home schooling them. I would love to go glamping with my husband now! XO

    Reply
  17. Elizabeth Hawley says:
    April 27, 2017 at 4:41 am

    We are kind of new to camping but have a few trips planned for this summer. No camper yet but would love this book to give me the inspiration to do it right!!!

    Reply
  18. Vicki says:
    April 27, 2017 at 5:15 am

    We are new to this Camper life! We have camped in the past with tents and pop up campers, but now, this summer, we have been given a camper on a site in the Dells. I am excited to decorate, since I have just last winter discovered your magazine and site, and have been devouring both!! I can’t wait to add some fun fabrics and designs to our camper…. Thanks for the great ideas..

    Reply
  19. Debbie Webster says:
    April 27, 2017 at 6:33 am

    Mmmmm, summer nights. The smell of a campfire. Time for hot cocoa and a good story!

    This will be our families first camping trip with our two granddaughters. We recently discovered Joshua Tree National Forest and it was Love at first sight! I cannot wait to see the evening sky! Thank you!

    Reply
  20. Tammy Marti says:
    April 27, 2017 at 7:14 am

    This summer we have many plans and one of them is to take the kids to The Black Hills. The rest of summer weekends, we decided to not make plans. Just get in the car and drive to where ever! A different direction every weekend to travel through towns, sightsee at state parks, little mom and pop shops, and stay and stop to camp or to stay in a hotel. Whatever the pleasure! Sometimes when a person is looking for nothing, they find everything!

    Reply
  21. Marti732 sisterhood says:
    April 27, 2017 at 7:19 am

    we have acquired a new (to us) camper and I have been gathering glamping materials and accessories for a couple of years now. Since the first glamping stories i read in MJ’s Farm magazine I have been dreaming of getting a camper and making it my own. Fine, I’ll share with hubby, but it’s going to glamp! I have retired and finally have the time to take a few days off to enjoy this beautiful country. Happy Glamping!

    Reply
  22. YOLANDA L SOLFERINO says:
    April 27, 2017 at 7:32 am

    My husband and I have just retired. We are so looking forward to getting into our motor home and seeing where it takes us. It’s exciting that we no longer have a set time to leave and a set time to be back!

    Reply
  23. Leisa Joan says:
    April 27, 2017 at 9:38 am

    We go to upstate Maine & stay in a one room hunting cabin, with no running water or electricity, but we make it pretty with an old fashioned pitcher/bowl to wash up. some day I’d love to get a clawfoot tub up there so we can take a hot bath, MJ style.

    Reply
  24. Chrissy says:
    April 27, 2017 at 10:34 am

    Have dreamed about getting a Little Buddy. Have a tote of dedicated camping equipment buried on the back porch plus a brand new rod and reel that’s never seen water. And I find it’s just as fun to camp at the local state park as it is to pack up and go far away.

    Reply
  25. Elizabeth Otto says:
    April 27, 2017 at 12:18 pm

    My glamping plans include a tent, sleeping bag, material and a nice fire to create something new.

    Reply
  26. Debbie says:
    April 27, 2017 at 12:31 pm

    I don’t yet have a Glamper. Right now it is a Dream, I have ask Santa for this book but yet again I got passed up. Poo
    Our BFFs are taking us to Yellowstone this year, we just have to pay for food. This would be a Greaaat read while on the road 🙂 ♡♡♡
    Thank you for the opportunity to win Yeah Hahh

    Reply
  27. Kelly S says:
    April 27, 2017 at 12:47 pm

    I’m looking into taking an end.of summer/fall vacation. I’d love to.win for my sister. She just purchased an Airstream & hope we can take a ride sometime when it’s done being renovated. 🙂

    Reply
  28. Kathy Byfield says:
    April 27, 2017 at 12:51 pm

    No plans for glamping this summer… YET. But love the concept.

    Reply
  29. Tina hengen says:
    April 27, 2017 at 12:59 pm

    I’m not really. Glamper, but we do go camping and four wheeling every year! This year were hoping to go to wallowa lake!

    Reply
  30. Diana says:
    April 27, 2017 at 1:07 pm

    I plan on spending as many weekends as I can exploring the campgrounds & parks in North Idaho along with a trip to Glacier National Park.

    Reply
  31. Nancy says:
    April 27, 2017 at 1:08 pm

    Not glamping yet…but, someday…! Heading for Asotin/Clarkston and up the Snake River for some wonderful family time. We’re gathering from all over to hang together in August. LOVE your magazine, especially as we were once ‘locals’ having lived in the LC Valley as well as in Pullman. Always look forward to the next issue! 🙂

    Reply
  32. Laura Richardson says:
    April 27, 2017 at 1:33 pm

    I’m more of a backwoods camper, but I dream of having a camper for my family to go camping in. We love to travel to the Big Horn mountains in Northern Wyoming, and camp back off the beaten path. No crowded campgrounds for me! We love to hike up into the mountains and enjoy the peace and beauty of nature, the beautiful clear blue sky, and the fresh air and sunshine. I would love to have your book!

    Reply
  33. Cindy Parker says:
    April 27, 2017 at 1:47 pm

    I’ll be glamping in my backyard in Northwestern PA.

    Reply
  34. Kate says:
    April 27, 2017 at 1:48 pm

    We have land locked our ’66 airstream. Renovations are underway with visions of a bohemian caravan. Cant wait to try it out! Next, a teepee and safari tent to set up : )

    Reply
  35. Rebecca Sarver says:
    April 27, 2017 at 2:01 pm

    Taking a 80’s Shasta and redoing to farmhouse glamper. Gutted ready for paint this weekend 😬🙏🤞

    Reply
  36. Donna Chism says:
    April 27, 2017 at 2:17 pm

    I plan to check out some beautiful WV glamping areas, can’t wait

    Reply
  37. Nancy says:
    April 27, 2017 at 2:33 pm

    Want to glamp in my shady back yard and then head out to Marfa and Sedona.

    Reply
  38. Joanie Zabelka says:
    April 27, 2017 at 2:34 pm

    My Glamping plans are to win your book and find out how to do it – right. Hubs wants to hit South Dakota and Wyoming. If I can’t do it like a lady then I don’t necessarily want to do it. I’m a bit of a princess when it comes to roughing it.
    Tiara and cool boots on and fingers crossed…

    Reply
  39. Tammy Starr-Evans says:
    April 27, 2017 at 2:35 pm

    I am building a “hen house” in my back yard
    To glamp in at home

    Reply
  40. Kay oldham says:
    April 27, 2017 at 2:40 pm

    Well I am not going on an adventure this year, but my daughter is buying a 5th wheel and moving to Oregon and and will live it while looking for a job and training to work with dogs. Would love to give her this book to help her along in her adventure. Thanks.

    Reply
  41. Amber White says:
    April 27, 2017 at 2:54 pm

    My glamping will be in Park City. I’m hitting the resorts.

    Reply
  42. Stacy C says:
    April 27, 2017 at 3:10 pm

    I have the camper and plan to remodel it this summer before touring around Lake Superior.

    Reply
  43. Carol Ploussard says:
    April 27, 2017 at 3:22 pm

    Hi,
    My name is Carol Ploussard. I live on the east side of Idaho out in the dry farms of Rexburg. I have many glamping trips planned for this summer. Two years ago my wonderful husband bought me a 1962 Aristocrat low-line 10×10 travel trailer for my 50th birthday. I named her Miranda! I have a silver half ton Dodge pick that can pull us anywhere we want to go! This year our theme is “Catch the Moon” named for the Total Eclipse. Miranda, family, I and will be sitting in full totality on our farm. Our first trip will be Memorial Day. We will go to the Sand Dunes just outside of St. Anthony, Idaho. Not too far away from our home. Our second trip will be in the middle of June, Miranda and go solo for this journey. We cut through Yellowstone, over the Big Horn Mountains and the fall into a little prairie town named Clearmont in Wyoming. We hang out with Alpacs and a bunch of Wooly girls. We play with Alpac wool for a couple of days. It’s great fun and Miranda loves the challenge of the Big Mountains. The 4th of July we go to Dillon, Montana and fish, eat, and dance. The end ofJuly is the big event. We glamp it up big, in Mountain Home, Idaho at the country music festival. This year we will watch Keith Urban, Luke Bryant, and Chris Stableton perform under the full moon surrounded by glampers just like us! Last, but not least, we will glamped one more time with about ten families we have never meet before. Miranda and I are hosting a Total Eclipse Party at our place! After all that we will tone it down visit some natural hot spring, do some deep cleaning, and get ready for our winter’s rest.

    Reply
  44. Robin Anderson says:
    April 27, 2017 at 3:41 pm

    I was gifted a 1969 Traveleze camp trailer last summer.. Can’t Wait to glam her up and go on a adventure.

    Reply
  45. Megan Raffaelli says:
    April 27, 2017 at 3:48 pm

    My husband and I are going glamping at Crystal Beach in a few weeks. I am waiting on my zebra faux fur rug to come in for our tent entrance. I’m so excited to get some time to be outdoors in style! We’ve been keeping an eye out for a vintage camper to restore but haven’t found the right one yet.

    Reply
  46. Jan Rice says:
    April 27, 2017 at 4:06 pm

    We don’t have an awesome retro trailer yet, but that’s one of my goals for when I retire in a few years. Until that time I need to settle for the cute little log cabin in the campground that we went to every summer while our kids were growing up. We have reservations at the campground for three camping trips. One with our son and his family, one for a week for just my husband and me and just before school starts again with three of the grandkids.

    Reply
  47. Jessica says:
    April 27, 2017 at 4:42 pm

    I would love to go camping with my soon to be husband in one of the local state parks! Roaring fire and cast iron cooking please!

    Reply
  48. Becky Davies says:
    April 27, 2017 at 4:45 pm

    My plan is to take out my littlentrailer with some friends again this summer. Fingers crossed we all stay well enough to go. Fun times.

    Reply
  49. Lisa Azbill says:
    April 27, 2017 at 5:32 pm

    We have several trips planned soon as the grandkids are out of school. We are grandparents raising 2 grandkids, who are helping us stay young! I’ve wanted to glamp our camper for a long time, but don’t know where to start. Please add my name, and thank you so much!

    Reply
  50. Carol Lauer says:
    April 27, 2017 at 5:39 pm

    Staying in an almost 100 year old cottage with my family while we enjoy the festivities at my son’s wedding in the middle of Nebraska! Good times!!!

    Reply

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Author Portrait: maryjane

GIVEAWAY: “The Promise Girls, Blue Moon”

Posted on April 25, 2017 by maryjane

Thank you for dropping by my Raising Jane Journal to participate in my giveaways! We’ve chosen a winner for this giveaway already (click here for details), but don’t be afraid to leave a comment anyway. I love reading them. And stay tuned for more great MaryJanesFarm giveaways.

For a chance to win one of FIVE autographed copies of Marie Bostwick’s newest book, The Promise Girls, tell me how long you’ve known your BFF in the comments below. (I’ve known mine for 38 years—my daughter.) I’ll toss your name into a hat and draw a lucky winner sometime mid-June.

From the beloved author of the Cobbled Court Quilt novels, New York Times bestselling author Marie Bostwick delivers an emotionally rich and captivating new novel that reunites three sisters whose deep bond is rooted in an unconventional past.

“Reading Marie Bostwick is like wrapping yourself up in a warm, hand-crafted quilt. Her books, rich in character and plot, are stitched together by a skilled wordsmith.”
– Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Stay tuned for more magazine-related giveaways. If you’re not yet a subscriber to my magazine, MaryJanesFarm, subscribe here for $19.95/year.

Continue reading →

  1. MICHELLE KIRBY says:
    April 24, 2017 at 12:28 am

    I love Jayne Ann Krentz’s dialogue.

    Reply
  2. Suzanna Drozd-Kowalski says:
    April 24, 2017 at 5:01 am

    I have know my BFF for 58 years! I was one and she was two years old when we all first moved to a new housing development. My earliest memories of her were with bandages over her eyes. She was loosing her eye sight slowly. I’ve been her matron of honor at her three weddings, we’ve been through thick and then. We started off in WNY, across the miles of this country. From NJ where she was a professor at Rutgers to Kentucky, to Alaska, to now Wisconsin. Me from Cheektowaga, NY to Corfu, NY to Lake Orion, MI. We pick up the phone and talk as if it were yesterday we last talked. I flew 4 or 5 times to Alaska to see her and she’s coming to the lake this summer. She’s now legally blind. Love her like a sister!

    Reply
  3. Carol Stout says:
    April 24, 2017 at 5:12 am

    I have known my BFF since we were in second grade together and she went and told our teacher that I wouldn’t play with her. We still laugh about that! So that means I have known Jan, and I can’t believe this, for almost 55 years!

    Reply
  4. Denise Sexton says:
    April 24, 2017 at 6:17 am

    Besides my Mom it would be my friend who I feel is like an older sister and we have known each other for 38 years.

    Reply
  5. Winnie Nielsen says:
    April 24, 2017 at 6:21 am

    It seems that I have lucky to have a few BFF as my life has moved from one state and phase to another. Most recently, I would say my neighbor of 30 years.

    This author is new to me and I am intrigued about her works and your endorsement. I am always on the look for great books to read and enjoy.

    Reply
  6. Deborah Moore says:
    April 24, 2017 at 7:19 am

    Sorry, I do not have a favorite author but i tend to be fond of autobiographies so with that said, today it is Eric Breaden’s, I’ll be Damned.

    Reply
  7. Lori Morton says:
    April 24, 2017 at 9:18 am

    I have a BFF that is like my big sister…and Aunt to my Kiddo’s…we have known each other for almost 40 years…she is Awesome!! My other BFF is definitely my sweet Daughter…& she just turned 40 this year. My BFF’s are truly my Heart…

    Thank you for chance to win this Great book too! 😀

    Reply
  8. Susan says:
    April 24, 2017 at 9:22 am

    I don’t have a favorite author, but I am the middle of three sisters. I am very close to my sisters and think this would be a good story to read. Thanks!

    Reply
  9. Krista says:
    April 24, 2017 at 10:26 am

    I have known my BFF for 11 years now. We meet in our English class in high school. I was new to the school and he made me feel right at home. We were lucky enough to graduate together not only from high school but from college as well. He has always been by my side and I’m blessed to have a guy as my best friend! The drama is very minimal that way!

    Reply
  10. Carol Johnson says:
    April 24, 2017 at 1:35 pm

    My best friendS forever are my daughter and my mother. Both are godly women who will speak the truth in love even if that means telling me not to wear something I thought looked fabulous on me. I’ve known my daughter for thirty years and my mom for fifty-eight.

    Reply
  11. Deb Ritchey says:
    April 24, 2017 at 1:37 pm

    My best friend I have known for 43 years it is my daughter

    Reply
  12. jo Wray says:
    April 24, 2017 at 4:54 pm

    One of my friends I have kept contact with since I was 6. I moved we wrote letters through high school and some of college. We then reconnected again through letters and cards. It was a comfort when we lost our Moms . I moved a lot. Keeping in contact by letters is an old form of communication . This has followed by a friendship of a college friend since we were 18 — about 50 years through letters ,and phone calls, and some visits. These friends provided continuity when I moved , changed schools etc.
    I have read most of Marie Boswick’s books. They are a treasure to enjoy. I look forward to reading this book also. I was fortunate to meet and hear her speak at a quilt Group. Wishing her continuing success in her writing.

    Reply
  13. Elizabeth Lazor says:
    April 25, 2017 at 3:57 am

    My BFF is my husband of 22 years!

    Reply
  14. Karen says:
    April 25, 2017 at 5:50 am

    By best friend is my older sister Eileen. Some days we don’t talk but it is like she knows when I need that pick me up phone call or a special card in the mail. We have been sisters for 56 years. We have always been very close. It is only the miles that keep us apart.

    Reply
  15. Diana Parsons says:
    April 25, 2017 at 6:52 am

    My younger sister is my bff. I held her hand to walk her to the school bus for the first time. I am almost 63 and she is almost 60 but it seems like yesterday.

    Reply
  16. Michelle Kirby says:
    April 25, 2017 at 8:03 am

    42 years

    Reply
  17. susan b says:
    April 25, 2017 at 12:05 pm

    My BFF (s) – sister – sister – mom 🙂

    We’re still close. I could never understand people that don’t get along with their sisters?! Who do they talk to – who do they have to tell them the unvarnished truth?!?

    Reply
  18. Kristie says:
    April 25, 2017 at 2:10 pm

    I would have to say my BFF is my daughter Laney–so I’ve known her for 3 years now! lol I’m so grateful to have her in my life 🙂

    Reply
  19. Denvalee Corff says:
    April 25, 2017 at 2:10 pm

    I have been blessed with 2 wonderful sisters, 4 amazing daughters, and a sweet friend since 7th grade!!! How thankful I am!!!

    Reply
  20. Michelle Wood says:
    April 25, 2017 at 4:42 pm

    My BFF? My beautiful sister Leasa of course. What would I do without her? Love her to the Moon and back.

    Reply
  21. Michele says:
    April 25, 2017 at 4:53 pm

    I have two bff. My mom for 42 years and my friend from High school Katie for 25 years.

    Reply
  22. Valerie says:
    April 25, 2017 at 4:54 pm

    I’ve known my bff for 26 years!

    Reply
  23. Kaycee F says:
    April 25, 2017 at 4:54 pm

    My BFF ‘s husband, Sister, Mother, and a whole lot of others! I’ve know them all for many years!!!

    Reply
  24. Becky Davies says:
    April 25, 2017 at 4:59 pm

    Almost 47 years! Since about 1970… for my first BFF.
    20 years … 1997 for my next BFF. Time flies and they are great ladies. So blessed.

    Reply
  25. Amber says:
    April 25, 2017 at 5:10 pm

    Sine I was in 5th grade and we will both turn 30 within the next few months. When we were in highschool we found out that branches of our family tree cross and that we are actually cousins somewhere along the line!

    Reply
  26. Donna Chism says:
    April 25, 2017 at 5:14 pm

    I’ve known my bff for 51 years this summer, we met when we were 4 and I moved to the neighborhood, we’ve been friends ever since.

    Reply
  27. Teri says:
    April 25, 2017 at 5:23 pm

    I’ve known my BFF for 60 years! 😊

    Reply
  28. Gaye Durst says:
    April 25, 2017 at 5:47 pm

    My BFF and I met 39 years ago! I was in 7th and she was in 8th. She and my then best friend a boy, had eyes for each other. She was afraid of me because she thought since I was friends with another girl that had eyes for him, I’d beat her up! Lol she soon learned on a very long walk one night, I was not a fighter and a very get along type gal!
    We’ve been besties ever since, even when we live far apart, it doesn’t change the heart!

    Reply
  29. Bonnie ellis says:
    April 25, 2017 at 6:27 pm

    My best friend is my husband. He was my camp counsellor at our church camp. He is four years older than I and we have been married 55 years. It really seems like only yesterday that we met!

    Reply
  30. Ann Austin says:
    April 25, 2017 at 6:51 pm

    About fifteen years!

    Reply
  31. Carol Vagher says:
    April 25, 2017 at 7:12 pm

    I have known my BFF for 40 years now and have been married to him for nearly 28! Love him more than ever!

    Reply
  32. Cathy R says:
    April 25, 2017 at 9:56 pm

    My BFF is coming from Texas next week to visit me in Idaho for the 8th time. We met when I was 19, 50 years ago and she has visited me every where I have lived even in the Netherlands. I love all the BFF stories. Thank you MaryJane for the giveaway. Sounds like a wonderful summertime read! Blessings!

    Reply
  33. Karen Hennip says:
    April 26, 2017 at 2:19 am

    I knew mine for thirty-odd years. But she was killed in a car acvident a couple of years ago.

    Reply
  34. Linda Olson says:
    April 26, 2017 at 4:40 am

    My best friend, Kathy and I have been friends for 65 years, since first grade in Miss Scott’s class.
    We recently spent some time together in Key Largo, wish I could upload the picture.

    Reply
  35. Amy Murillo says:
    April 26, 2017 at 5:49 am

    I have known my bff for 5 years. Our lives were tragically brought together when her husband had a very bad motorcycle accident while on a ride with my husband. Sadly, my husband hit a deer while on a ride 5 weeks later. Both thankfully survived, but the damage to their brains has changed our lives forever. Our bond and friendship has gotten us through many a rough time and I couldn’t imagine not having this dear friend in my life.

    Reply
  36. Sandi King says:
    April 26, 2017 at 7:06 am

    Best friends? I have one or two BFF girl-friends. Vickie and I met when we worked together in Security for a steel factory about 20 years ago and Laura and I have known each other for at least that long. But I also have a third BFF and that is my youngest son, Mark. We think alike, say the same things at the same time, he can get me out of a bad mood quickly and I can do the same for him. We laugh a lot and have a good relationship. We don’t always see eye to eye but we don’t stay mad or argue for long. He has always been there to take care of me when I needed taking care of like when I dislocated my shoulder when I fell because of black ice. If there was something I saw and liked he would try to get it for me, like my girlfriend Vickie does for me. It is nice when a family member can be a BFF too. I have never read Marie Bostwick but it sounds like she writes the kind of stories I do read. Y’all have a happy day.

    Reply
  37. Debbe J. says:
    April 26, 2017 at 7:47 am

    Ditto…my daughter is my best friend and travel buddy. Going on 23 years. I want to ne just like her when I grow up!

    Reply
  38. Debbe J. says:
    April 26, 2017 at 7:48 am

    Ditto…my daughter is my best friend and travel buddy. Going on 23 years. I want to be just like her when I grow up!

    Reply
  39. Maria Locatell says:
    April 26, 2017 at 12:03 pm

    This would be a great book selection for our book club!

    Reply
  40. GL Dvorak says:
    April 26, 2017 at 2:38 pm

    63 yrs; my Mom who taught me how to make a discard into something useful and beautiful, taught me about beautiful things from linens to furniture, taught me how to decorate, how to be thrifty. She is 82 now and has lived every year of her life fully. She was a librarian for many years, a school-teacher grades 1-8 when she was 17 years old. She has been my best girl-friend since I’ve been an adult, an optimist and steady light in the world all around her.

    Reply
  41. Avis says:
    April 26, 2017 at 3:59 pm

    My 16 year old daughter! It is a joy to have a daughter!

    Reply
  42. Judy says:
    April 26, 2017 at 5:11 pm

    I have to admit my hubby is my BFF. We’ve known each other for 48 years & been married for 42 of those years. ❤️

    Reply
  43. Jacqueline Christie says:
    April 28, 2017 at 6:56 am

    I have 3 BFF’s. My first BFF and I met while we were on vacation, and we stayed at her parent’s cottages, when I was around 10-11, so it’s been roughly 50 years for us. We just hit it off like we had always been together. We even stood up in each others wedding. Even though we don’t get to see each other very often, when we do it’s like we’ve never been apart. My second BFF and I met in high school, so it’s been 46 years for us. We’ve always been like sisters, and people often ask us if we are. My third BFF and I met at work, so it’s been about 28 years for us. We connected on such a soul level it’s uncanny. I have such a special bond with each of them, that I cannot pick one over the other.

    Reply
  44. Idamarie Settlemyer says:
    April 29, 2017 at 12:58 pm

    I’ve known my Best Friend since 8th grade, and we are celebrating our 50th
    class reunion this year!.

    Reply
  45. Shelley says:
    May 1, 2017 at 12:17 pm

    My best friend and I have known each other for thirty years, we first met at work when we were just little chicks and now we’re the old hens! Although we have moved apart ( to different states) we have continued to talk ALL the time and it truly feels like we are still just as close as if we saw each other every day. What a wonderful life blessing!

    Reply
  46. Gail Karls says:
    May 2, 2017 at 8:04 am

    I known my BFF over 12 years. She was my brother-in-laws partner, they have split, but she is still my BFF.

    Reply
  47. Dena True says:
    May 2, 2017 at 12:31 pm

    I’ve known my bff for 50 years, since she movedfrom Texas to our small hometown of LA Plata, Missouri when we were 10 years old, in fifth grade! We lived a block away from each other, closer if we took the shortcut between back yards in our neighborhood. We loved reading books, especially the Judy Bolton mystery series. We’ve been soul sisters from the beginning, and are still close today. I can’t imagine my life without her!

    Reply
  48. Diane Brown says:
    May 2, 2017 at 7:06 pm

    My mother is my best friend, so I’ve known her all my life – 58 years, to be exact.

    Reply
  49. LaNell Robertson says:
    May 3, 2017 at 4:21 am

    I have known mine for 69 years! She is my sweet cousin. We are sisters in the Lord.

    Reply
  50. Patricia Olsen says:
    May 3, 2017 at 6:55 pm

    I’ve known my bff for about 30 years since we started an inner city ministry. We also share the same birthday. We now live 900 miles apart but still love to talk and text.

    Reply

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Author Portrait: maryjane

GIVEAWAY: “Moo-n Over Main Street, Blue Moon”

Posted on April 23, 2017 by maryjane

Thank you for dropping by my Raising Jane Journal to participate in my giveaways! We’ve chosen a winner for this giveaway already (click here for details), but don’t be afraid to leave a comment anyway. I love reading them. And stay tuned for more great MaryJanesFarm giveaways.

For a chance to win a copy of my Moo-n Over Main Street Metropolis children’s book, tell me if you wrote a children’s book about an animal, what that animal would be in the comments below. I’ll toss your name into a hat and draw a lucky winner sometime mid-June.

A 34-page cowpanion to my fifth book, Milk Cow Kitchen, this adorable adventure story is about a milk cow named Sally O’Mally who finds love in the home of a single mom and her daughter who never gave up hope that someday, they’d have a backyard milk cow. Includes five reader-to-child educational pages that are jam-packed with conversational questions, including an irresistible hands-on project.

Stay tuned for more magazine-related giveaways. If you’re not yet a subscriber to my magazine, MaryJanesFarm, subscribe here for $19.95/year.

Continue reading →

  1. Michelle Kirby says:
    April 23, 2017 at 12:19 am

    A blue bear

    Reply
  2. Lori Morton says:
    April 23, 2017 at 6:04 am

    If I wrote a book for kiddo’s..it would HAVE to be about a Bear!! lol After all..I am the Mombear round here..and also known as Grammabear to a few Grankiddos now too. 🙂

    Thank you for chance to wun your AWESOME Book too!! 😀

    Reply
  3. Amy Murillo says:
    April 23, 2017 at 6:21 am

    I would write about a rooster, lots of inspiration here on our little plot of land!

    Reply
  4. Corine Runnion says:
    April 23, 2017 at 6:33 am

    I would say an albino buffalo, where I was raised in Alaska their lives an albino buffalo, quite a remarkable animal.

    Reply
  5. Linda Killian says:
    April 23, 2017 at 6:45 am

    A very naughty sloth.

    Reply
  6. amber says:
    April 23, 2017 at 2:27 pm

    I would love to do barnyard animals.

    Reply
  7. Sheila Morse says:
    April 23, 2017 at 2:28 pm

    A cat named Harrison

    Reply
  8. Sonja Anderson says:
    April 23, 2017 at 2:39 pm

    The true story of my pet black widow spider.

    Reply
  9. Lynn Bartlett says:
    April 23, 2017 at 2:56 pm

    I would probably write about a Jersey heifer calf since we have plenty of them around here.

    Reply
  10. Gaye Durst says:
    April 23, 2017 at 3:49 pm

    I once in the back of my mind had an ongoing story about the two dogs I was taking care of. They were based on thier daily happenings but pulled more elaborate. I do wish I had wrote those down. Now I’d write about a chicken! She’d have many adventures with her buddies.

    Reply
  11. Cindy Parker says:
    April 23, 2017 at 3:50 pm

    Rabbit

    Reply
  12. Mari Lewis says:
    April 23, 2017 at 4:05 pm

    The REAL relationship between cats and dogs – keeping my animals in mind.

    Reply
  13. Vicki Allen says:
    April 23, 2017 at 4:43 pm

    once I wrote a story about a goose when I was in school so I would say a goose

    Reply
  14. Deborah Moore says:
    April 23, 2017 at 5:15 pm

    If I wrote a kids book using a certain animal, it would be a Hedgehog.

    Reply
  15. Ann Austin says:
    April 23, 2017 at 6:44 pm

    I would write a book about mice.
    When my son was little I always told him stories of mice, mine lived deep in the ground but interacted with the ones in the city, and battled trolls. 😊 The mice always won!

    Reply
  16. Cindy Meade says:
    April 24, 2017 at 4:25 am

    So ? I am a storyteller can I use your book and promote it whenever I tell your stories. I do not do this for profit just as a fun way to reach kids. Hopefully one day at kids camps. I do Bible stories too never for profit.
    If your answer is yes where can I find your books.
    If I wrote a book I would pick a turtle. I am always sticking my neck out!!!!

    Reply
  17. Vicki says:
    April 24, 2017 at 5:01 am

    I have a story written and am working on about our horribly abused horse Barney. I am hoping to publish it this year sometime. I also have one in mind about chickens wanting a new coop.

    Reply
  18. gloria fuller says:
    April 24, 2017 at 9:55 am

    The critters of wild weed farm: a mad hatted groundhog; a blustry very tall rabbit; and a very timid skunk. That is all i’m sharing.

    Reply
  19. Faye brown says:
    April 24, 2017 at 11:05 am

    I would write a book about elephants, mama and family never leave the young
    unattended or behind . They also will attack anything that goes after their babies and of coarse elephants never forgets anything,
    so Younghans beware!

    Reply
  20. melissa says:
    April 24, 2017 at 12:00 pm

    An Alpine Goat named Grace who wants to be a prima ballerina

    Reply
  21. Leisa Joan says:
    April 26, 2017 at 9:47 am

    My daughter wrote a book about a girl that turns into a cat at night, when she was in 2nd grade. Very inventive.

    Reply
  22. Avis says:
    April 26, 2017 at 4:01 pm

    About our cats! They know us better than we know ourselves and can set the clock by them!

    Reply
  23. Honey says:
    May 1, 2017 at 2:50 pm

    This is an easy question to answer, my very first dog (which I didn’t get until I was an adult), was a dalmatian. She was a great dog, but unfortunately ended up having diabetes in her later years. So my book would be titled, “Daisy, the Diabetic Dalmatian”. I’d use her story to educate children about diabetes, insulin shots, and how you can still be a happy energetic dog even with this disease.

    Reply
  24. susan b says:
    May 4, 2017 at 6:50 am

    It would be a rabbit we had called “Big White”. She was a tame rabbit that my husband found running up the road, that someone had dumped out. I took her to the vet and found out she had not had a good life. She had overgrown teeth and was blind. The vet told me that she could have a good life – so we got her teeth fixed and let her live her last year in luxury. She was the sweetest (very very big) bunny!

    Reply
  25. Joyce Huber says:
    May 7, 2017 at 5:17 am

    My daughter wrote a story about a bear in grade school and her sister did the illustration for her. She won and it was made into a hardback book. Very impressed. Now she’s a high school English teacher. If I wrote a book it would be about a dog.

    Reply
  26. Tonia Ladd says:
    May 7, 2017 at 6:35 am

    My story would be about helping my grandfather milk his cows. Though I was raised in the city in Montana, every summer my parents would take our family to Arkansas where we would stay at my grandparents farm. It was a big deal to sleep with Pa because whoever slept with him got to get up before dawn and help him milk the cows. All of the kids would fight for their chance to help milk cows and gather eggs. I was the youngest of all the kids so It seemed to me like I would never have my turn. I was always told that I was too little to do all of the hard work. Finally one year I threw such a fit for my turn my grandpa relented. The first morning I slept so hard I missed my chance. When I awoke and discovered that I had missed my turn I cried and whined all day about how unfair it was. That evening grandpa made a point to tell me that I had to get up very early and be ready to go when he was. I barely slept that night, I was so excited.
    We got up before sunrise and headed to the barn for our chores. I was sleepy but determined. I was finally gonna be helping like the big kids. I had no idea what I was getting into. Everything was difficult for this five year old city slicker. What was a teat? Why wasn’t the milk coming out. Why were the chickens so mean? The real shocker was when we took the bucket of warm milk back to the house and I sat down for my first bowl of cereal with “real” milk. I hated it! All of the milk I had ever had came from a carton of cold milk that we got from the store. I hated that warm milk! It didn’t taste like anything I had ever had. And where was the fun that the older kids bragged about???
    I never helped milk the cows again. Looking back now I’m grateful for the experience I had with my pa-pa.
    I wonder if I would like the taste of fresh unpasteurized milk now. And have considered getting a milk cow for my little farm here on my grandfathers land. But my grandchildren live in Montana. No one to fight over who would help grandma milk the cow…

    Reply
  27. Jessica Murray says:
    May 7, 2017 at 10:40 am

    I would definitely write a children’s’ book about horses!

    Reply
  28. Renée Cariglia says:
    May 7, 2017 at 5:15 pm

    Definitely the MAJESTIC COW♡! The soft, breezy dairyland in Upstate New York caressingly floats me back to the Dignity and Beauty of Mother Nature…

    Reply
  29. Jana Blackwood says:
    May 8, 2017 at 9:01 am

    If I wrote a book, it would be about my Basset hounds, Buck and Clyde.

    Reply
  30. Angie says:
    May 8, 2017 at 9:50 pm

    A turtle in New York City!!! Why? Or a happy white rabbit.

    Reply
  31. Josieclare says:
    May 10, 2017 at 9:36 am

    I would most definitely write about my Texas roadrunner that darts across my back yard in the country. He’s even come up on my back porch and peered at me through my french doors!

    Reply
  32. Sarah Marshall says:
    May 11, 2017 at 11:05 am

    After watching robins build a nest, I would like to know more!

    Reply
  33. Darcy Koch says:
    May 13, 2017 at 11:44 am

    If I would write a children’s book I would write about a Panda Bear.

    Reply
  34. Arlene Gallegos says:
    May 17, 2017 at 2:12 pm

    Many years ago I used to tell my girls about a flying dog. So if I wrote a book it would be about Sally the flying dog.

    Reply
  35. Lynn pittman says:
    May 17, 2017 at 2:53 pm

    Snappy the turtle

    Reply
  36. Teresa nall says:
    May 18, 2017 at 6:03 am

    It I wrote a book it would definitely be about a cow. They are by far my favorite farm animal. I grew up with cows, my favorite being jersey heffer who’s name was Maude. You could milk her, ride on her back, lay on her. She would even wear a hat.

    Reply
  37. Beth Andrepont says:
    May 18, 2017 at 9:38 am

    Await would have to write about puppies and their mischievous antics.

    Reply
  38. Cindy Abbey says:
    May 18, 2017 at 2:07 pm

    I wrote a book and still have it. It is about a Squirrel and his adventures and his love of popcorn and new friends on the farm. I still have it!

    Reply
  39. Kimberly Bedtelyon says:
    May 20, 2017 at 7:17 pm

    My pet raccoon that I had as a child.

    Reply
  40. Christine says:
    May 21, 2017 at 6:23 pm

    My Blue Heeler, definitely! I have never ever had a dog as goofy as he is!

    Reply
  41. Patricia Moore says:
    June 10, 2017 at 6:48 am

    Yes, I did write a book for my 1st Granddaughter. Grace. It was a book about Gilly, the
    seagull who only had the use of one leg (hurt in an accident)-the other gulls left her alone until one day she warned the other gulls about a bad bird that would hurt them.
    The other gulls thanked Gilly and kept her as a friend after that.

    Reply

  42. Pingback: Winners!!! Giveaways: Blue Moon | Raising Jane Journal

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Author Portrait: maryjane

GIVEAWAY: “All American Clothespins, Blue Moon”

Posted on April 20, 2017 by maryjane

Thank you for dropping by my Raising Jane Journal to participate in my giveaways! We’ve chosen a winner for this giveaway already (click here for details), but don’t be afraid to leave a comment anyway. I love reading them. And stay tuned for more great MaryJanesFarm giveaways.

For a chance to win 20 FREE beautiful, handmade clothespins from All American Clothespins, tell me your favorite memory about hanging laundry on the line in the comments below. I’ll toss your name into a hat and draw a lucky winner sometime mid-June.

clothespins_1836

Albert Crooks and his 15-year-old son, Al, craft beautiful, sturdy clothespins from ash (the perfect hardwood for clothespins) and heavy-duty, stainless-steel springs manufactured in the U.S. “No more using four or five cheap clothespins to hang a wet towel to line dry. Our clothespins are tumble sanded and are finished with tung oil, which will not leach out and stain your laundry.” For beautiful clothespins that will last a lifetime, visit AllAmericanClothespins.com.

Stay tuned for more magazine-related giveaways. If you’re not yet a subscriber to my magazine, MaryJanesFarm, subscribe here for $19.95/year.

Continue reading →

  1. MICHELLE KIRBY says:
    April 19, 2017 at 12:43 am

    I’d help my mom pull the laundry off the line & it always smelled so fresh.

    Reply
  2. Kathy McCourt Cox says:
    April 19, 2017 at 2:18 am

    My Mom was a single busy person , raising two daughters, working two jobs , pinching pennies and going non stop. A early riser, she always hung a line of laundry out to dry and did cooked us breakfast every morning before her crazy day started. My job was to take it down and fold it when I got home from school. I had a lot of early conversations in our backyard early in the morning with her. Wish I could still do that . She passed on. But I can still remember the good sweet smell of my sheets on my bed, that had been sun kissed , and the great conversations innovative hard working Mom.

    Reply
  3. Joan Hendrix says:
    April 19, 2017 at 3:17 am

    My mother hanging our wet laundry until dad approved an electric dryer in 1972! We lived in Phoenix and his famous line was, “the sun shines almost every day, why spend money on electricity!”. She had a suntan right through her blouses. But oh, that dry laundry (collected as the new wet load was hung) smelled so good! I have plans for a clothesline here at our new old house in Virginia. Thank you!

    Reply
  4. Cheryl Bell says:
    April 19, 2017 at 3:27 am

    Mom would always hang our clothes out to dry so when we couldnt find mom in the house thats where she would be.we tried to help her by pulling the towels off the line my sister would try to stand on her little red trike to reach them.

    Reply
    • Karen says:
      May 17, 2017 at 3:55 pm

      I grew up with a pulley clothesline…we could pin the clothes on the line while standing on our porch. When I got married, my husband put a pulley line up for me. The line went fromm our back porch, across our pool to high in a pine tree past the driveway.
      We hosted a swim at our place for two families and supplied the swimsuits for all 13 swimmers. I washed all those swimsuits plus towels and hung them on that line. It was a line full. Imagine my dismay when I looked out there later in the day to see my lovely clothesline along with some of those clean bathing suits and towels laying in my pool! Ah well, time to find a new location for the clothesline!

      Reply
  5. Starletta Schipp says:
    April 19, 2017 at 4:17 am

    One of my most favorite memories is hanging laundry on the line while my 2 toddler daughters were playing nearby. The cherry blossoms were at the peak of the season. A breeze blew by showering us with a flurry petals. It was a moment of perfect bliss for me.

    Reply
  6. Susan says:
    April 19, 2017 at 4:57 am

    Memory? I still have a clothesline and like to hang clothes out even though today it is a choice and not a necessity. Growing up I always like the challenge of getting the laundry to hang using as few clothespins as necessary. LOVE towels and sheets that are line dried. Thanks for the link to All American, had no clue such a company existed and I love things Made in America!

    Reply
  7. Elaine Holmes says:
    April 19, 2017 at 4:57 am

    After removing the wash from the wringer washing machine, I carried the wicker basket to the clothesline. I remember pinning my sister’s cloth diapers on the clothesline. Socks went up one by one. Pants were hung by the waist. White dress shirts that my dad wore were hung upside down by the side seams. A bag was hooked on the line that held the clothes pins. I remember the fresh linen smell as clothes were removed from from the line. Sheets hung from the line were wonderful to sleep on. You could feel the freshness. Time to carry that load to the house.

    Reply
  8. Winnie Nielsen says:
    April 19, 2017 at 6:01 am

    I purchased some of these heavy duty American made clothespins and there is nothing that even compares to their function and durability. For one, they are larger, heavier and great for items like wet jeans or other heavy items. Second, the springs are strong and don’t snap or twist.I really l love the ones I have and would love some extras as I run out and have to use the cheaper ones to finish up.

    With all of our natural sunny weather, hanging clothes out on the line just makes sense and everything smells fresh and clean. Using the popular homemade detergent recipe that I learned at MJF and clothesline, laundry expenses are amazingly minimal.

    Thanks for offering this wonderful giveaway.

    Reply
  9. amber says:
    April 19, 2017 at 6:19 am

    My husband built me a HUGE clothes line a couple years back. We live in a rural area, but in town. I have to laugh because people think I’m weird that I hang my clothes out to dry. Even women who are middle age tell me “I remember my Grandmother doing that) and apparently its such a rarity because no one hardly does it anymore even though I live in the country. I just take pride in knowing I’m keeping something on the old fashioned side alive and going. Jokes on them though because I’m the one saving money on my electric pill from not running my dryer 😉

    Reply
  10. Lee Ellen says:
    April 19, 2017 at 6:32 am

    Growing up as a small child my mom did use a clothesline but as I got older she preferred the dryer. She is a city gal through and through, likes her conveniences. When I married I could hardly wait to get a clothesline. Everything country, old school, or simple life appeales to me. The smell of clothesline dried items is wonderful. It is hard for me imagine someone not wanting to use a clothesline!

    Reply
  11. CJ Armstrong says:
    April 19, 2017 at 7:03 am

    We hung clothes outside in all seasons when I was growing up on the farm. We had to go to town to wash them at the “laundromat”, which at that time were wringer washers and it took forever. My mom had us hang clothes outside even in the winter. They always froze and we had to bring them in and hang them around the house to thaw and dry. I never could figure out why we just didn’t hang them in the house to start with.

    After getting married I swore I’d always use a dryer which I did for many years, but after moving back to Colorado and having my own house here in the country on what was part of our farm, I decided to go back to hanging them outside. I LOVE THE SMELL of laundry dried in our fresh, Colorado air and sunshine!

    Reply
  12. sharon s says:
    April 19, 2017 at 7:10 am

    I am the oldest of nine children. I hung many clothes and diapers outside and in a damp basement with an electric fan to circulate air! I enjoy hanging out clothes now. But I don’t do underwear like the “old days”!

    Reply
  13. CJ Armstrong says:
    April 19, 2017 at 7:13 am

    P.S. There is nothing like good WOODEN clothespins! The plastic ones just don’t do the job very well!

    Reply
  14. Molly Welsh says:
    April 19, 2017 at 11:36 am

    With seven children my mum hanged a LOT of laundry. My sisters & I learned very early how to hang laundry. I stil to this day hang as much of my laundry as is possible. The smell is so much better and unlike many folks I DO LIKE the feel of line dried towels on my skin. Strange, but true. And like Kathy I would love to be able to hang laundry again with my mum.

    Reply
  15. Beverly Potts says:
    April 19, 2017 at 11:38 am

    My favorite memory. I used cloth diapers on my children and I can remember hanging them out with my first of three sons at my feet. He is 36 now.
    We are now in the process of purchasing a ” Farm House” in Powell Butte Oregon.
    And to my happy surprise it has an old time cloths line just like the one I had when my children were home.:)

    Reply
  16. Krista says:
    April 19, 2017 at 11:44 am

    Those are some nice large clothespins. They would be perfect for hanging up my heavy bath towels! My favorite memory of hanging was when we would hang sheets and blankets and walk through them like we were in a maze! I loved that as a kid.

    Reply
  17. Susanne says:
    April 19, 2017 at 1:05 pm

    My grandma had a little “wash house” where she did her laundry for years. I remember watching with fascination as she would run the clothes through the wringer. Then I would “help” her put the clothes in a little laundry cart on wheels, we’d push it over to the clothes line and hang it all in the sun to dry. It’s one of my sweet memories of grandma.

    When we bought our first house, there was an area about 5 feet wide between a couple of the outside walls with a sidewalk to the shed. My creative, think-outside-the-box husband screwed in hooks on each wall and stretched clothes lines between those walls. I loved hanging the laundry out there! It was a nice little hidden spot. In May when the lilies of the valley were blooming on the edge of the sidewalk it smelled heavenly!

    Reply
  18. Mary Frances Rauch says:
    April 19, 2017 at 1:16 pm

    My unusual memory of clotheslines would be that Mother would dash out to hang clothes and often come running back into house bitterly complaining that my Dad had NOT disconnected the electric antennae for his old radio from her metal clothesline. He said it got perfect reception that way, but on the other hand, my Mother got electrical shocks when she touched the lines with wet clothing! We lived through it and now it’s a perfect source of long-ago memories and laughter.

    Reply
  19. Elisabeth Perkins says:
    April 19, 2017 at 1:23 pm

    Our house is on a hill so we have nice breezes that blow through. Which makes for the perfect wrinkle free, sun-dried clothes!!

    Reply
  20. Jodel Guerrero says:
    April 19, 2017 at 2:08 pm

    My mom had 5 kids Father left I was oldest girl one of my most enjoyable times was when I got to hang laundry being outside the sweet smell of clean sheets and clothes it was a glorious time out

    Reply
  21. Bette Arado says:
    April 19, 2017 at 3:57 pm

    Hanging my doll cloths while my Mom hung ours Bette

    Reply
  22. Lori Morton says:
    April 19, 2017 at 6:58 pm

    I still hang laundry outside!! Love seeing it blowing in the breeze, making everything fresh & smelling of sunshine! 🙂 We have 7 Kiddo’s, and I didn’t have a dryer til the last one was out of school & out on his own! But still LOVE hanging things on the clothesline! 🙂

    Thank you for chance to win your Give-a-way too! 😀

    Reply
  23. Diana Shelton says:
    April 19, 2017 at 7:05 pm

    Hanging laundry on the line brings back wonderful playful memories of my childhood and not so long ago my own children running in and out and around the sheets blowing in the wind. Hanging laundry on the line was a time of spending time outside each doing their own duty of chores. An then running out to grab them in the midst of a rain storm; was a time of fun and laughter, it never failed to rain. lol Memories: [hearing my moms laughter], I dedicate this to her, she has terminal cancer and after fighting cancer for 3years she only has 6-9 mo. to live according to the professional doctors. May we never forget those little things in life that mean so much to us.

    Reply
  24. LeAnne Burt says:
    April 19, 2017 at 8:26 pm

    They look sturdy!! I love that something to hold the wranglers!

    Reply
  25. Faye brown says:
    April 20, 2017 at 7:09 am

    Easy memory! Grandmas house in the country every summer where she had a bag (made to look like a small dress) hanging from the clothesline full of clothes pins just as you described. My sister and I would help to hang clothes in the warmth of the sunshine and were taught to stand back and look at the beauty of the clothes gently swaying to the warm whiffs of wind. Those clothes pins found there way dangling on our ears and towel diapers for our dolls! I still have the bag and a couple of the clothes pins which I proudly display in my laundry.

    Reply
  26. Lorraine Hess says:
    April 20, 2017 at 7:10 am

    I love the smell of clean laundry fresh from the line! What a joy to get in bed at night & smell the great outdoors. I can picture the chickens running around my feet as I’m at the wash line.

    Reply
  27. Rebecca Darrington says:
    April 20, 2017 at 7:41 am

    Clothespins! That one word evokes so many memories of old, as well as “now-a-days”.
    Clothes hanging on the line, then and now. Mom replacing the old wooden pins with the new plastic one, only to go back to the old wooden ones, which she kept, because the plastic ones broke so easily.
    We painted them and put them on our ears for earrings, we used them to keep our lunch bags closed, and in a pinch, when we pulled the string from our hooded sweatshirts used them to keep the hood in place.
    I use them now as before, plus so many other uses. I have a clothespin love, and the old clothespin bags that hung on the line to keep the pins-priceless, I still have Grandmas!!

    Reply
  28. janamarieje says:
    April 20, 2017 at 10:24 am

    I grew up watching and helping my mom and my grandparents using a clothes line and I love the way everything smells as you take the clothes off the line and folding them. I try to use the clothes line for all my drying needs every chance I can to relive those great memories of growing up.

    Reply
  29. Hilve Firek says:
    April 20, 2017 at 10:26 am

    I continue to make memories of hanging out laundry every week! My favorite chore!

    Reply
  30. Sara Knight says:
    April 20, 2017 at 10:27 am

    I grew up hanging clothes on the line but these days I use clothespins to hang three vintage aprons for my laundry room window valance. They also do ice storm duty by holding sheets in place over potted herbs on my deck. I would love to have handmade clothespins to use and put in my vintage clothespin bag.

    Reply
  31. phyllis says:
    April 20, 2017 at 10:42 am

    I would hand the clothespins to my mom as we moved down the line. The clothespins were the round-top kind. To this day, I love to hang out clothes, sheets and towels because everything smells so fresh.
    Thank you.
    Happy Spring!

    Reply
  32. Joy Giles says:
    April 20, 2017 at 10:46 am

    Watching my sister wrap herself in a sheet and proceeding dancing about the yard while I finished getting in the rest of the wash.

    Reply
  33. Grace says:
    April 20, 2017 at 10:48 am

    I loved the sheets flapping in the breeze!

    Reply
  34. Keri Carwile says:
    April 20, 2017 at 10:58 am

    I’ve got two loads drying on the line now. Watching it blowing in the wind makes me smile!

    Reply
  35. Teresa yoho says:
    April 20, 2017 at 11:21 am

    As one of 12 children washing tennis shoes was a big job! The shoes took up the entire clothes line! Imagine! All those shoes in different sizes on that line! 🙂

    Reply
  36. Teri Schneider says:
    April 20, 2017 at 11:30 am

    My mom and I always hung clothes on the line when I was a child. There were 8 of us in the family and if the clothes stood a chance in getting ALL washed and dried in the same day, the clothesline was the only way! I now hang my clothes on the line too and have taught that fun pastime to my newly married daughter.

    Reply
  37. Joyce Hein says:
    April 20, 2017 at 11:41 am

    My favourite memory of hanging clothes is doing the sheets…and then crawling into those fresh line-dried sheets in the evening. It seems I always sleep better the day the sheets are washed 🙂

    Reply
  38. Jen says:
    April 20, 2017 at 11:46 am

    I don’t have a favorite memory with my momma, she had a dryer. I love hanging them with my kids now. They love playing in the “fort” between the sheets. They always smell wonderful and feel so crisp.

    Reply
  39. Ellen Gerzina says:
    April 20, 2017 at 12:06 pm

    I have always hung out clothes even if the wind is 100mph in Oklahoma!

    Reply
  40. Brianne says:
    April 20, 2017 at 12:16 pm

    I remember helping my grandmother with the laundry in the summers when I visited. I’d help her put the wash up to dry on the line in the backyard. And she’d send me back out to collect it when it was dry. I don’t think I ever complained! Line dried laundry is one of my favorite things and favorite smells as an adult. I’m glad to live somewhere where we can have a line. In the winter I even have an in-house drying rack my husband built hanging from the ceiling next to the wood stove!

    Reply
  41. Rebecca M. says:
    April 20, 2017 at 1:10 pm

    Monday was always wash day when I was growing up. I’ve always enjoyed hanging clothes on a clothesline. I’d always try to line everything up perfectly; towels, washcloths, sheets, pillow cases. Then I’d do the same thing with the clothes; all the pants had to be in a line, then all the shirts. It was fun for me most days. In the winter, though, the clothes would sometimes freeze on the line before they’d dry. My mother used to always tell us that it was okay. It would soften the material. I don’t know if that was the case or not, but my mother said it so I believed it. Nothing better than good clothespins.

    Reply
  42. Chrissy says:
    April 20, 2017 at 1:35 pm

    As oldest of six children, one of the best “alone times,” was removing the sun-dried clothes, sitting near the cellar hill under the peach tree and folding them. I remember there being a LOT of diapers.

    Reply
  43. Brenda Langford says:
    April 20, 2017 at 2:29 pm

    I love to hang laundry. My favorite was when my children were babies and seeing all their tiny clothes hanging on the line.

    Reply
  44. Elizabeth Otto says:
    April 20, 2017 at 2:31 pm

    I love to hang clothes outside for it gives them a wonderful smell.

    Reply
  45. Kate Craig says:
    April 20, 2017 at 3:18 pm

    I loved hanging the laundry and wish I still had a clothesline. And taking fresh smelling sheets off the line was pure bliss.

    Reply
  46. Joyce Huber says:
    April 20, 2017 at 3:53 pm

    When the weather warms up I like to hang up my clothes outside. Saves on electricity and I enjoy the fresh smell. I even bought these clothespin and they are the best.

    Reply
  47. Lorrie Gray says:
    April 20, 2017 at 4:07 pm

    Clothes pin memories – helping my grandmother take the laundry off the clothesline, I could only help since the Oklahoma wind could get strong, and I was too short to help hang clothes on the line. We used a wooden fruit basket to drop the clothes pin in for the next laundry day. Grandma Mac always made a game of it. I can still smell the fresh scent of clean clothes, feel the warmth of the sun on them, and the wind blowing my hair. Good memories.

    Reply
  48. Karen Hennip says:
    April 20, 2017 at 5:58 pm

    Hanging beach towels on the line after a trip to Lake Michigan.

    Reply
  49. Sandy T. says:
    April 20, 2017 at 7:22 pm

    I have a lot of memories of helping my mom haul the laundry out to the clothesline, hanging it up, and sometimes racing raindrops to get it off the line. I can’t wait for my husband to get my clothesline back up! I love the smell of line dried clothes!

    Reply
  50. Carol Vagher says:
    April 20, 2017 at 7:52 pm

    Remember my mom and all my aunts in the neighborhood hanging all their clothes out on the clotheslines and all of us kids running through the clothes!

    Reply

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