Little by little, it is starting to feel like Spring. The days are getting longer and temperatures are getting warmer. However, the chicks are still inside, and our extra bedroom/home office has slowly turned into something resembling a greenhouse.
Here is what is going on in the home behind the scenes…
In the “Greenhouse” (a.k.a. the Spare Room)
Right now, everything for the garden is still happening indoors.
The spare bedroom is now being referred to as the Greenhouse due to being overtaken by seedlings and grow lights. My main setup consists of two large metal tiered shelving units with grow lights hanging off of each level. I always end up overdoing it though, and need to add more shelves and lights as things go on. Considering my shelves and grow lights are all in use and I have 13 more variety of seeds to start, I’m going to run into trouble. I always manage to figure it out though so stay tuned!.
Nothing is ready to go outside yet. Based on our zone, we still have a bit to wait before hardening anything off. While it can feel like I’m behind when I see others online already planting outdoors, I’m trusting the process and reminding myself that I’ve done this before and everything times out right.
Every morning (and usually every night) I tend to the tiny seedlings by carefully watering them, rotating the trays, and making sure everything is getting enough light. I’ve already had some failures and honestly, that is just part of it. I try not to get too worked up about it, but it can be pretty disappointing when seedlings die back or never sprout.
This is the time when things can really start getting overwhelming, so I try to stay organized and on top of the care, so all of my hard work isn’t wasted if I forget to water for a day or two.
Life with the Chicks
The chicks are still inside, too, and very much a part of our daily routine now.
Mornings are a bit of a blur. Getting ready for work, getting a 3 year old up and ready, getting out the door on time, making sure everyone has what they need. It’s not slow or peaceful in the way I sometimes wish it was, but that is life right now.
The evenings are where we settle back in.
That’s when my daughter helps. She has begun helping with feeding the feeder, checking their water, and fixing the roost bar they somehow manage to knock over again. She takes her job very seriously, and I try to let her be part of it as much as possible, even if it takes a little longer or makes a mess.
The chicks have grown so much already. Every day I see differences. More and more feathers are coming in, and they have at least quadrupled in size over the last 3 weeks.
It’s messy, noisy, and pretty chaotic at times, but it’s also so much fun!
In the Kitchen
Spring is one of my favorite seasons for cooking because you get the mix of the comfort foods from winter along with some summer meals we can throw on the grill.
With how busy we are, simple has been the goal lately.
This is when I’m relying on a lot of prepped freezer meals, or coming up with ways to reinvent our favorites. Staying organized and keeping the pantry stocked with basics is key. If I can throw a meal together at the end of a long day and not have to think too hard, I call that a win.
Resetting the Home
Our neighborhood always does a spring garage sale, and that always feels like a great point of reset for us. Our family sets things aside all year in the “garage sale pile” in storage, and getting all of that back out to sell is refreshing. Garage sales are a lot of work, but I love getting rid of things that we no longer need.
I also take time during the weeks following up to the garage sale to really go through toys and clothes and clean items out, even if they aren’t for the garage sale. Having a young child means toys with broken or missing pieces, and getting those cleared out helps a lot.
The warming weather always gets us in the mood for a refresh as well. Opening the windows whenever the weather allows and letting in fresh air does wonders for mental health. Wiping down surfaces and dusting in areas that have been overlooked is a priority during this time as well. A little bit of extra attention can go a long way.
Nothing here is quite “finished” yet.
The plants are still inside, the chicks aren’t ready for the coop, and there’s always something that feels a step behind or still in progress.
But little by little, things are coming together, but I would by lying if I said it doesn’t get overwhelming at times.
This spring, I’m being reminded that growth doesn’t happen all at once. The small, everyday routines seem repetitive, but they add up over time and are worth it in the end. We just have to be patient and find joy and peace in the moment.
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