This month we focused on…
Putting up the high tunnel! After weeks of working on it a little bit at a time we are about 90% complete. We need to tighten the greenhouse plastic to reduce friction when it is windy and finish the roll up sides. Unfortunately, galvanized pipes have been out of stock at every place we’ve went so we will have to wait until our local store gets some in before we finish.
Considering we have been working on this since January, I can’t even tell you how much I am looking forward to completing this project. While it may be too late to use it for seed starting, I plan to grow tomatoes and peppers in it over the summer using a shade cloth. We also plan to use it in the fall for some of our cool weather crops.
Our favorite activity was…
Going outside. Spring has to be, hands down, my favorite time of year. When the weather starts to warm up and it feels like there are 20,000+ things that need to be done, we move most of our activities outdoors.
A lot of what we do are what my daughter calls boring stuff. These past few weeks we have amended our beds, cleaned up our landscaping, did a ton of weeding, put together new garden beds, and, of course, worked on the high tunnel.
This has many benefits. It has cut back on the time my daughter watches tv (always a good thing!) and allows us time to soak up that much needed vitamin D. I have seen a definite increase in all of our moods. We also benefit from better sleep since we are so active during the day.
The most useful thing I used…
This soil blocker (can be found here). I experimented this year with using trays and a soil blocker to see which method I preferred when starting seeds.
The soil blocker won hands down.
I have always had difficulty with pepper plants and most of mine have been pretty puny, even after up-potting. I have done nothing to these seeds since germination besides watering and their growth has exploded!
What I did for myself…
It is easy for me to cast self-care to the side when I have so much to do. Lately, I had been noticing that my anxiety was increasing. I found my to-do list over-whelming and felt worried about things that were completely outside of my control.
I’m a pretty big proponent of just pushing through when things get hard. However, I’m also not adverse to outside help when I am struggling.
It was a happy accident that I came across the Bloom App. I signed up for the free trial and bought a year subscription after using it for seven days. Therapy is expensive and I already have a solid understanding of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. While graduated from seeing my last therapist, I still need some guidance when it comes to dealing with uncomfortable feelings.
I get up early every morning, chart my mood, and do a short journal entry. It then will recommend several exercises to complete based on where I am at.
Sometimes I need help dealing with work stress while other times I will do exercise over dealing with self-criticism. I always feel calmer afterwards. I definitely consider it time well-spent.
The one thing I am loving…
I can’t even tell you how many times I put on these boots throughout the day. They are waterproof, slip on and off easily, and are very on-the-nose when I am doing chores in the chicken coop.
