Life IS Sweeter With Bees!

 

We have been quite busy lately with many different projects.  But the project I am most excited about is that of recently having established our own apiary yard.  I have always been intrigued by the amazing honey bee, but because we lived in suburbia, I never considered beekeeping a possibility.  That all changed once we moved out here. 

 

Not too long ago our awesome neighbor offered to give my daughter and I a live tutorial on beekeeping.  How often does an opportunity like that present itself?  The morning of our date with Ali and her bees my daughter and I were SO excited.  We both suited up and were able to get up close and personal with the sweetest insect known to man. We were able to see how honey bees function and what their unified mission is - to work themselves to death (literally) in caring for their queen bee.  There was no fear (especially on my daughter's part), only awe and marvel at how gentle these productive and organized little creatures are.  It was fascinating to learn that every action taken by the honey bee is with the sole purpose of ensuring the survival of its colony.  There is no ME or I... only WE and US.  I think humans can learn a lot from the honey bee.  We are grateful to Ali (and to her bees) for her generosity in facilitating that magical experience.  And now that we have our own bee colonies, we are actively expanding on our knowledge of organic and natural ways to care for them, without the use of toxic pesticides and chemicals.  We are 'newbeeks' as they say; with so much to learn.  But every seasoned beekeeper I have spoken to has expressed that whether you've been keeping bees for 1 year or 20 years, you never stop learning.  These marvelous little creatures are always teaching us something new -  about them, about ourselves or about our place in the circle of life.  It is all very humbling indeed.

 

I am tempted to use this opportunity to share with you important facts about the honey bees as well as the critical role they play in our food supply.  But alas, this is not that kind of post, so you will be spared... for now.  I will just share with you some photos of our bees, which have settled in beautifully and are thriving on our homestead.   

 

 

As a family we have a new found love and respect for the honey bee and we are pretty certain that our relationship will be a long lasting one.  We are excited to experience the benefits and value that having them around will bring to our lives.

 We are honored to be their stewards.  And maybe... just maybe, if we take good care of them, every now and then they will graciously reward us with a bit of their glorious honey.  Now wouldn't that be sweet?!

 

Thank you for reading and many blessings to you and yours in all of your endeavors.

 

 

 

  

 

 

Who Needs Pintrest?! (Our Shed Update!!)

If you read my last blog post then you already know how hard my amazing husband has been working at getting my soaping shed to functioning status.  If you haven't read it, I encourage you do so, so you can see the "before" photos and get a better impression of what he's accomplished and why he deserves the "husband of the year" award.

We are almost there!  And I have to tell you, all week I have been feeling like a little kid  - overwhelmed with excitement and anticipation.  I absolutely LOVE renewing spaces. If you asked,  my husband will tell you that I am a very simple woman: nothing makes me happier than a can of spray paint and some old furniture (okay... and a few trips to the thrift store).  Getting his "go ahead" for me to start bringing my things from the garage into the shed made me all giddy inside.

Okay, enough about me.  Let's get right down to the progress we have made.  I warn you - this post will be picture heavy. :-). 

This (below) is what the shed looks like on the outside now.  It is a lot more leveled than it was before.

I added old shutters that were sitting in the garage, after painting them brown and green, for some character.  

The tall dresser (left) was left behind by the prior owner. I painted it and it now stores all of my soap packaging supplies.  I am pleased that everything is organized in one spot, further fueling my OCD nature.   I have had this gorgeous painting (above dresser) for a long time. It was a gift from my late father and I am glad to have found it a home in this special space.

 

 

Are you wondering why so much "green and brown" yet?  Well if you hadn't noticed, green and brown are M&M Soaps' signature colors.  So I appropriately decided to incorporate those colors into the space to enhance the creative energy I seek in this sanctuary.  I was seriously thinking of painting the exterior green, but have decided to hold off on that idea for now. :-)

 

 I love how the space does not look commercial at all.  I wanted it to be much more than just a place for making soap.  I wanted to be surrounded by things that speak to my spirit and things that are  an extension of what is in my home.  It was important to make this very small space as multi-functional as possible, where my children could sit with me and keep me company while I work, or where friends and family could also stay when they come to visit.  All we would need to do is whip out the blow up mattress and electric wood stove (if it's cold), and voila!  Instant comfort and privacy. Okay, well there is the small issue of no toilet or running water but hey, at least they'll have a place to sleep. :-)  

This (left) is another one of the dressers left behind by the prior owner.  This one houses my soaping equipment, soap molds, safety gear, etc.  The empty picture frame above the dresser was also from our old home. 

I found this gorgeous antique looking wrought  iron vase (below) at a local flea market.  When I saw it I just knew that it would be the perfect place to store my cello wrapping paper rolls.  I love it!  The small wall shelf  to the left was used in our former home and has found a new life here as a place for my oil and spice extracts.

I wanted to keep all of my regular essential oils together and in a convenient spot.  Luckily I remembered that we had a brand new bathroom cabinet that we brought with us in the move.  The tall cabinet fit perfectly in this corner and I was able to fit all of my essential oils and other additives with room to spare.

We re purposed one of the old counter tops from our kitchen (below) and turned it into a work table. 

 

The shelving you see on the wall above the finished work table (below), was a hutch to a bedroom set we had purchased second hand for our children which they never used. I painted it I did a miserable job at painting it because it was really windy outside that day. Have you ever tried spray painting in the wind?  Then I know you can totally relate.  Besides, my new mantra is "done is better than perfect".  So there!  It IS perfect. :-)

 

 

I was also able to fit a floor cabinet that I once used for the children's crafts (beneath work table) for more storage. Directly on top of this floor cabinet I now sit my bulk oils and more additives. 

 

  My new mantra in print as a daily reminder.  This truly helps balance out my OCD tendencies.

This corner shelf was another great find at the flea market.  It was originally black and I knew that once painted, it would make a nice addition on one of the corners.  I really like love it! 

On top of this dresser (left) sit images of a few of the most important people in my world.  While working in this space I want to surround myself with positivity and images of people that bring out the best in me.  

 

While the weather has been favorable, it has been raining tremendously here which made it hard to do much to the exterior.  We plan on sprucing it up a bit once the ground dries up.  One of the things we will finish doing today is adding a few tons (literally) of flagstones that are being offered for free by a neighbor up the road.  They will make a great pathway and cut down on the mud tracking when it rains.  I was also excited to find three wood pallets in the barn that he will add to the front to make a small porch where I can put a flower planter on one side and also have a small box for my muddy shoes. 

The outdoor sink will be placed on the left side of the shed in the next few weeks.  There is currently a chicken/rabbit coop there that will need to be relocated - it is massive in weight and we just can't move it on our own.

My husband also found a large bay window in the barn (in perfect condition) that we will add to the back wall in an effort to bring in some much needed natural light into the space. 

 

In the end, this did not turn out like the Pintrest inspiration shed at all.  Actually, I think it turned out a million times better.  Why?  Because my family's sweat and energy is invested in this space.  Even our two small children had a small part in it. 

And I am extremely proud of the fact that only a fraction of the materials needed to rebuild the walls and floor were acquired commercially.  We used as much reclaimed wood and building materials as we could find in our barn to rebuild the floors and wall boards, including the tin ceiling.  With the exception of the two flea market finds (second hand corner shelf and wrought iron vase), everything else you see here came from things we already had laying around in the barn,  garage or house.  That to me is so gratifying!

There is another shed that my husband wants to convert into an outdoor school/play room for the children.  He is a brave man.  That shed is bigger but needs A LOT more work.  Stay tuned for that adventure!

 

Thank you for allowing me to share this chapter of our journey with you.  I hope you've enjoyed reading about it as much as we have enjoyed the experience.

 

Blessings to you and yours in all of your endeavors!

 

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