Social Media Primer

Like collecting eggs from wayward chickens, it can be somewhat of a task keeping up with all of the social media happenings at MaryJanesFarm. You won’t want to miss a thing—especially our Sisterhood blogging community over at www.GirlGab.com. (This is my favorite daily pleasure.) Ladies of the Sisterhood, now numbering 4,690 (and counting), have earned an amazing number of Merit Badges so far—6,500 total! We’ve recently started alerting earned Badges daily on our MaryJanesFarm Facebook page.

My blog, www.raisingjane.org (the one you’re on right now) is a little bit more of the fun and frilly that you’ve come to expect from MaryJanesFarm, and is my outlet for conversation in between magazines. And every Friday, I feature a …

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Wishing You Glamping Success!

Nadine Morton, neighbor and dear, sweet cousin-in-law to my husband, came to my recent book signing with the most adorable gift. Does she know me or what?!!!

It’ll be a while before I’m inclined to put this outside to share with my feathered friends. It looks too cute on my desk.

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Ice Lanterns

Chances are, cabin fever hasn’t set in quite yet …

But we can all use a little inspiration to get outside on a chilly day, right?

Even better … a winter’s night.

Well, here’s a super COOL idea:

ICE LANTERNS

These crystalline cuties, which traditionally hail from the world’s most wintery northern latitudes, are a good way to spark your appreciation of the season’s stark beauty or light a pathway that invites guests into your home.

Ice lanterns have the lavish look of blown glass, but they’re a snap to make.

I like the way they transform the outdoors into a winter wonderland—even in the absence of snow.

Depending on the sizes and shape of lanterns you’d like to create, choose from a variety of flexible plastic containers to freeze them in, such as:

  • Buckets
  • Mixing bowls
  • Yogurt containers
  • Pitchers

You’ll also need:

  • Smaller containers that fit inside the ones above, such as cups and empty plastic containers
  • Rocks or marbles to fill the smaller containers
  • Branches, berries, grasses, or herbs (optional)
  • Candles or electric tea lights

Here’s how you do it:

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The View from our “Offices” at the Farm

 

Dear Friends Are Near

Christmas is here.

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Extra-special Delivery

It’s big. It’s unstoppable. It’s sparkly. Are you ready?

For the rest of the holiday season, that is. Feasts to prepare, halls to deck, family to see, and—oh, yes—gifts to give. Often, that includes whipping up our “famous” cookies, candies, and cakes and sending them to familiar faces in far-flung places.

But if you’re like me, you cringe to think what those goodies must look like by the time they’ve reached their destination. Have the cookies dried out? Did the frosting smear? Is your rum loaf still … well … a loaf? If the idea of people receiving a messy box of crumbs with your name on it makes you crazy, read on for some peace of mind …

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Oh Christmas Tree, Oh …

The debate has been raging for decades of Decembers:

Real or artificial?

I’m talking trees, of course.

In one camp, you have the hearty, saw-slinging lumberjacks (and Jills) that relish the opportunity to strike out into the snowy woods …

(or tree farm)

to cut down a live fir for the holiday festivities …

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Are you celebrating THIS day?

December 15 is National Cat Herders’ Day. To be honest, this is the first I’ve herd of this holiday. But, I’ll be celebrating.

The holiday is not to be taken literally, but rather, it is dedicated to doing the unmanageable. How impossible would it be to literally herd a bunch of cats? I can just picture it now, and the rodeo would be far more ridiculous than any of the adventures we’ve had moving cows from pasture to pasture out here at the farm. (Although we have had some pretty entertaining moments.) Guess we should be thankful we’re not running a cat dairy … for a variety of reasons.

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