Baba's blog

I Don't Fit In

2009-06-28T10:14:14-05:00

I Don't Fit In

It's true. Babasfarmlife doesn't really fit in with all the Mommy
blogs. Yes I am a mom, but my children are all grown with children of
their own. So a lot of the discussions I can't really participate in. I
sometimes feel a little left out or even not wanted in some instances.
But you know what? I've decided that it's ok. I really didn't want
Babasfarmlife to be like a Mommy blog anyway.

Yes
PR is important along with rankings and I do want to pay attention to
those somewhat. It would be ideal to just have a few companies that I
do PR work for. And it would be fabulous to have those types of
companies that pertain to things I do here on Babasfarmlife. Those who
relate to the remodeling of The Stone House. But, I am not there yet.
So in the mean time I will plug away and do what I can. I am glad
really because it frees me up to do what I want.

I am happy to
be different. I always was a different type of woman anyway. I was in
the middle of writing this post when I popped in to visit Mom Dot to
see what was going on. Trisha put up a vlog clip
you must see if you are feeling a bit overwhelmed, or maybe don't fit
in like me. Go see it and tell her what you think. It's something to
think about anyway you look at it.

The Stone Houe - Gears Are Home

2009-06-28T10:08:26-05:00

The Stone Houe - Gears Are Home

Last
Friday hubby and I made a quick trip to Colorado Springs to pick up his
sculpture Gears of the Prairie and bring it home. It had been on
display in downtown Colorado Springs for one year as part of their Art
on The Streets competition. Because we have so much to do with The
Stone House he decided not to enter a sculpture this year, but to take
a year off to work on the house. Though it wan an honor to have his
work on display for a year and the exposure to the art world was
fantastic.

We brought it home and set it up at The Stone House
along with The Arrow piece so I thought I would show you those
pictures. We are glad to have it home. We really missed it and yes, it
is still offered for sale.
If it does sell we will miss it even more just like all his other
pieces that have sold. It's funny how these pieces stick with you like
children who leave home. I would think other artists feel the same way.

The
temperature reached 100 degrees here today, and it made me feel a bit
weak and sick so I need to take a bit better care of myself I think.
And this is only June. I had to have hubby go shopping without me,
because I just didn't feel up to it.

Ageless Anti Aging Perfume Giveaway

2009-06-18T17:19:37-05:00

Ageless Anti Aging Perfume Review & Giveaway!

Remember a few days ago when I mentioned how I tried Ageless the new anti aging perfume? No? Well here's a recap:

I
was absolutely thrilled when I received Ageless by Harvey Prince in the
mail to do a review on. Absolutely thrilled I tell you! Thank you
Megan! I had heard about this fabulous new perfume designed to make you
appear to be younger and I just had to try it! It's become the fad all
over Europe and now it's popularity is growing in the United States as
well. Women are raving over the results of wearing this perfume!

Have
you ever asked a man to guess your age? Clinical trials of Ageless has
shown that men around women wearing this fabulous perfume guess their
age to be about 8 years younger than their actual age! What woman
doesn't want to appear younger! Of course it won't remove wrinkles or
take the place of collagen or a face lift if you desire to go that
route. But maybe now you won't have to take those ultimate measures
when you can wear a perfume that makes you appear younger just by it's
scent. If other people think you are younger, you may believe you are
younger and you just may start to live a younger healthier life all
because of the scent you wear. How exciting would that be?!

The
concept is amazing. If rose can make you think of grandmothers; or
lavender is relaxing; or green apple relieves migraines; why can't
there be a scent to make you seem younger? This patent pending perfume
seems to do just that. The scent is a light airy mixture of pink
grapefruit, mango, anti-oxidant rich pomegranate, jasmine and musk. I
loved the light scent right from the start. Ageless scent is not
overpowering like many celebrity designer fragrances either which is
something I really appreciated about it, nor is it filled with harmful
irritating chemicals. I have had many perfumes that I couldn't wear
because they irritated my skin, but not with Ageless. I was able to
wear it all day and into the evening with no irritations whatsoever. I
loved that!

My daughter loved the scent too and I think she wants her own bottle. I can't blame her. It's amazing.

Based
on natural bio-chemical aroma therapy Ageless actually makes you smell
younger! Harvey Prince has hit a home run with Ageless! At 120.00 for a
3.04 oz. bottle it will last a long time so it's money well spent.
Ageless is available at www.agelessfantasy
and you'll find it among quality perfumes at specialty stores here in
the U.S. , and at The Bay Stores in Canada. In fact it's becoming a
global movement. I think I have found my perfume for life! And Now you
can have your own bottle of Ageless Perfume because they've sent me one
to give away to one of my readers. How fabulous is that!? Click here to win

MagWear for Dad Giveaway

2009-06-14T12:05:36-05:00

MagWear for Dad Review And Giveaway!

Hubby working on the barn door using his new Magwear!

I am so excited to tell you about this one! MagWear by Fortis Design
generously sent me this fabulous MagWear wrist band for Hubby to try
out. With all the work he has to do on The Stone House project he is
constantly sticking nails and bolts in his mouth to carry up ladders or
to put up the repaired windows. He was always dropping them and losing
them on the ground. Sometimes I am surprised that he hasn't choked on
one yet. It drives me crazy to see him do that. I guess it brings back
the mother in me worrying about what the kids had sticking out of their
mouths. I was always afraid they would choke.

I no longer have
to worry about him losing nails on the ground or choking on bolts or
nails now that I have a MagWear. MagWear is a wrist band that is
magnetic and will hold all the nails and bolts he needs for a job. He
no longer has to stick them in his mouth or in a pocket. He can have
both hands free when he goes up the ladder with this and his tool belt
he is set! And I don't have to worry about the grandkids finding nails
on the ground. The magnet is very powerful and will hold even the
largest bolts, screw, nails, washers, etc.. Hubby was very impressed
with it and will be using it from now on. I too was impressed with it
and secretly coveted it for my sewing supplies: needles, seam rippers,
scissors, etc.. It would be great for craft projects, jewelry making,
and so much more. I bet you could think of some other uses.

If
your hubby is like mine and sticks nails and screws in his mouth to do
a repair job then you are going to want to get him one of these! And
what a better time then now for Father's Day! You can pick one up for
Dad for only $18.00. The MagWear comes in seven different colors: Black, Blue, Orange, Yellow, Grey, Green, and Red.

Fortis
sent me a second MagWear in Blue to offer to one of my readers! How Fab
is That?! One of you can win a MagWear for your Hubby or Father or even
for yourself! Just visit Fortis Design
and find one other product you would love then come back here and tell
me what you found. It's that easy. Be sure you leave your email address
in the answer or have it readily available to me in your profile. If I
can't contact you then your entry will be disqualified.

You can earn extra entries by doing any of the following; be sure to leave a seperate entry for each one you do.

Follow Babasfarmlife on Google.
Follow Babasfarmlife on Facebook.
Follow Babasfarmife on Twitter.
Tweet this giveaway. (3) extra entries.
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Add Babasfarmlife to your blog roll.
Leave a comment on any other non giveaway post.

Entries
will close June 19, 2009 midnight MST. The winner will be notified by
email and posted here on June 20, 2009. Good Luck!

The Stone House

2009-06-07T12:28:48-05:00

The Stone House

New tree sapling planted
Mulberry Fruits
Mexican Squash growing at The Stone House
Bird Trio Sculptures
Front view of Birds

Saturday
hubby and I spent some time at the Stone House taking over another load
of his sculptures and planting some tree saplings that we harvested
from our daughter's property. The grandson was doing some yard work
there and they had to be taken out so we decided to give them a second
chance at life on our property just down the road. They are a bit
shocked right now and we are hoping they come out of it and are taking
extra care of them, but we shall see. If one or two don't make it,
that's ok, at least we tried. We planted them in a row along a back
fence next to the goat pens and they are fast growing trees so it will
look sharp once they are established. I'm not sure if they are a
Cottonwood or an Elm but I know they grow fast. I really should check
on this stuff before I go to write about it, DUH!

We have a bit
of rain lately so the weeds are growing fast as you can tell in the
photo. We need to get the goats on them soon, lol. But we'll need to
repair the fencing around the goat pens first and lately it's been too
dang hot. Maybe today we can get to some of that. We'll see.

I
wanted to show you what Mulberry looks like. We have tons of Mulberry
trees around the Stone House and will be making some jam from the
fruits. The trees are loaded with them. I haven't made Mulberry jam
yet, but everyone swears that it's delicious so I will be looking for
receipes.

These bird sculptures that hubby made are the cutest
things. The smallest one has a nest and eggs along with 3 baby birds
that look as if they are crying out for mama to feed them. Then there
is the mama and papa birds. Though we aren't sure exactly where their
final placement will be at The Stone House at least they are there now.
Still lots more sculptures to move.

We are still waiting on the
electrical company to bring in a new power pole since they finally
decided our power pole was just too ragged looking and I must say that
it really was ragged looking. We thought they were going to come on
Friday but that didn't happen and they don't work weekends because that
would be extra pay, so it looks like Monday or Tuesday for the power
pole work. Enjoy your weekend.

The Top 15 DIY Home Remodeling Sites

2009-06-02T13:17:31-05:00

The Top 15 DIY Home Remodeling Sites

* One Project Closer

* Home Construction & Improvement.

*Baltimore Rowhouse.

*Building a Better Bungalow.

*California to Puerto Rico.

* The House on Red Hill.

* Tiny Old House.

* Today's Green Construction.

* This Young House.

* And us of course!

Movie Time

2009-06-01T14:07:58-05:00

Movie Time

We
are all a bunch of movie freaks at our house. We buy movies on DVD, we
rent movies, we watch movies over internet sites on the computer. We
have a massive movie library, and sometimes we go to the theater to see
movies. Though in our tiny town it take a while for a popular movie to
make it here. Hubby and I went to see Wolverine on our anniversary
after going out to dinner at Smokin Willys BBQ which was fab as always.

The best part of going to the theater to see a movie for me is
the butter popcorn. I can't resist. When I watch a movie I want butter
popcorn! The more butter the better! Yum! The thing is that we had just
had dinner and I wasn't hungry, but I still had to have my popcorn, and
I bought the biggest they had. Even though I ate a bit of it at the
theater there was still so much left over after the movie and no way
was I going to throw out that buttery goodness. I brought it home with
me and have been snacking on it all week. No it hasn't gone stale, it
still has all the great taste. If it had gotten stale I would have
given it to the chickens to eat, but they missed out on this round, it
was all mine.

My daughter and her husband went to go the the
theater yesterday for a date night to see Star Wars because it was now
at our theater. Guess what? The theater is closed until June 3rd. We
are all so disappointed. This fabulous movie that we have all been
dying to see finally comes to our little neck of the woods and the
theater is closed. So much for small town movie going. Sigh

Our Truck

2009-06-01T14:05:57-05:00

Our Truck

This
old truck has taken a beating over the years and is still going strong.
It may not look like a champion at the moment but then neither would
you if you did the work that this guy does. I don't drive it though
hubby does. It's a tempermental stick shift so I leave the driving of
the truck up to hubby. You may have a newer version of this great truck
and like all vehicles they wear out or parts need to be replaced. It's
not difficult to find parts for the Ford F150 mainly because so many
people drive them. It's a pretty popular vehicle and stands up to the
test of time.

If by chance your new F150 needs repair or replacement parts you can find great Ford F150 Body Kits
to make it look new again. Even if you don't do your own vehicle repair
but have an auto shop work on your Ford F150 make sure the shop knows
where to get replacement parts for it. One of the easiest things to
replace yourself might be the F150 Fog Lights a much needed item driving on country road like ours. Headlights too are easy to replace yourself and the F150 Headlights
are no exception. If you don't have a Ford F150 I highly recommend
them! I don't know what we would do without our old truck. Even though
he may look ugly right now, he's still a keeper.

Dealing With State Regulations - OMG

2009-06-01T14:03:57-05:00

Dealing With State Regulations - OMG

As
you know we have been struggling to get a temporary electrical pole
hookup at The Stone House so that we can begin work. We'll need the
electrical for power tools and lighting. One advantage to living in the
country is that we can work all night if we want to using power tools
and we won't bother anyone. That's not something you can do living in
the city because most cities have noise regulations and certain hours
that you can work. After that everything has to shut down.

After
several phone calls to the Power Company, the state electrical
inspector, and our local electrician, we have finally got the
information that we need. First off our power pole is not long enough
for the mast head to reach the lines from the power company, so our
electrician is constructing a new pole that is another 5 ft in length
for a total length of 15 ft.. Now the electrical plugs at the base of
the pole have to be water resistant and tamper proof so our electrician
is now ordering some for our pole because no one in our area has any of
these on hand. These are all new regulations so it's not surprising
that no one has them.

Another new regulation for the electrical
outlets in the home. All of the outlets now have to be tamper proof
with guards so small children can's stick anything in them. It doesn't
matter if you don't have children, state law now requires it for all
homes. I am talking every outlet in the house. And there are different
ones for each area of the home. The kitchen will require one type, the
bathroom will require another type, a new type for the bedrooms, and a
new type for the living area. What does all this mean in the way of
cost? Big bucks for those remodeling their homes electrical systems and
new home construction. The outlets for the outside of the home will run
about $18.00 each which isn't bad considering we will only need 2-4 of
those. The outlets for inside the home may be another story entirely
because we will need so many of them. State law requires you to have an
electrical outlet every 3 -5 ft. I believe it's 5 ft., but will have to
double check. A regular GFI or standard outlet will no long suffice.
The new outlets must have a plug guard that automatically draws back
when you plug something into the outlet. If you try to put something
else in the outlet the cover stays in place. This is to protect
children who try to put their fingers or wires into an outlet from
getting an electrical shock. The old standard plugs run about $1 -$2
ea. and the normal GFI outlets run about $8.50 ea.. With the new tamper
poof outlets we can expect to pay a lot more for them. If you have any
of the old ones on hand you might as well throw them out, because if
you are living in a state with laws like ours they will not be usable.

I
understand the desire to protect children, I just don't understand
having to have laws to require mandatory outlets like these. It
increase the cost factor of a new home tremendously and also for home
remodels like ours that are doing a complete electrical overhaul.
Especially when they aren't even available in our area. I find it
hilarious that we pay the govt. money to protect me from doing
something stupid like sticking a wire in an outlet. Like, I'm just
waiting for the first chance to try that out.... Oh yea. LOL.

The Importance of Memorial Day

2009-05-22T04:15:52-05:00

The Importance of Memorial Day

Yes
Memorial Day is a time to share with family and have barbeques and
enjoy time together, but we must never forget what the day is truly
about. Those men and women who served in our military services for our
freedoms. Those men and women who made sacrifices for us, sacrifices in
time away from their families, sacrifices in limbs, sacrifices of the
mind, and sometimes even their lives.

My dad - James M. Spelts,
father of nine children(Yes I said nine) was a signalman in the U.S.
Navy aboard a carrier in the South Pacific in WWII and during the
Korean conflict. He would signal the planes to take flight and signal
them to safely land again on ship when their job was completed. He also
sent messages to other ships and on shore. When he wasn't signaling
other ships or planes he would cover for other servicemen so they could
have shore leave because he was a famiy man and would rather stay on
board ship. He also spent time as a driver for the ships Captain. He
regaled us with stories of the planes landing on the ship or fires that
needed to be put out, but also stories of playing poker with his
shipmates and that his ship was one of the first to land and help the
people after the bombings at Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

My dad was
one of those who served in the Military, but he also supported all the
military branches even after he returned home to his family. He gave
generously all his life to all the military branches through such
organizations as The American Legion, or Veterans of Foreign Wars, or
by visiting VA hospital patients. Every Memorial Day he would put up
the Flag on the flag pole outside our home or outside his Apartment
complex and would tell us the importance of that day. When I was a
child he would take us to see the parade held every year in our home
town so we could see some of the great men who served our country in
person in uniform, old and young. And we would visit the cemetaries to
place flowers on headstones to show that we remembered those who had
gone before us.

Daddy taught us respect, respect for our elders,
respect for other people, and to especially respect all that our
military servicemen and women had done for us and our country. This
Memorial Day when you see an American flag, watch a parade, or have
your family bbq, please remember what this day is meant to be and take
just a moment to remember those who have gone before us to pave the way
and have given us so much. If you would like to help Veterans in some
small way, you can join Kim Cattrall call to sign the pledge and help Veterans by donating to Beyond Tribute.

The Stone House - The Proper Way To Plant A Tree

2009-05-19T18:12:44-05:00

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

The Stone House - The Proper Way To Plant A Tree

The
first step in planting any new tree on your property is to select the
right location. You want to make sure that the tree's growth will not
interfere with water, gas, sewer, telephone or electrical lines. When I
say your tree's growth I mean it's roots as well as it's branches. It
can be extremely costly to have someone come out to fix a broken water
pipe or gas leak if you try to plant your tree in the wrong place.
Check the area first. It's also a good idea to make sure that it won't
interfere with your neighbors. You don't want any problems down the
line forcing you to remove your beautiful tree.
Once
you have selected the perfect location you can begin to dig. As you dig
remove any obstacles that could interfere with your trees root growth
such as rocks, glass or anything else you may find. These can cut into
your trees roots and damage them. This is also a good time to determine
if you soil needs any nutrients added. Although new trees generally do
not require additional nutrients when they are first planted, if you
have hard clay soil or really sandy soil, you may want to add nutrients
to your tree at a later date. Just take note right now and jot it down
in a tree or planting diary to refer to at a later date.
Dig
a hole 2 to 3 times the diameter of your trees root ball. This will
give the tree room for it's roots to reach out and establish
themselves. You don't want the sides of the hole to be too compacted
either so taking a fork to loosen them a bit will help. Be sure to
break up any dirt clods that you will be putting back in the hole for
the same reason. Make a mound in the center of the hole for your tree
to sit on. You'll want the outside edge of the hole to be slightly
deeper as a place to store excess water for your new tree's drainage.
You don't want the roots sitting in water too long or you'll lose your
tree to root rot.
Once
your tree is level with the ground just as it was when it was in the
pot, remove the tree from the pot by gently tapping and squeezing the
sides and bottom of the plastic container. It should come right out.
Don't let it sit out too long in the wind or sun before planting or it
will dry out. If the trees roots have been compacted tightly you can
loosen them prior to planting to guarantee your trees roots will take
hold in their new surroundings. Place the tree in the center of the
hole on the mound and backfill the hole. Once the hole is filled tamp
the soil down by stepping on it all around your tree. This will help
eliminate any air pockets. You want the soil to be firm but not so
compacted that your roots can't grow, then water your tree generously.
How often you water your new trees will depend on the climate of the
area you live in. Because we live in a very dry climate we will water
our new trees every couple days for the first week and once a week
after that until they are established on their own and can get ground
water and rain water like all the other trees on the property.
As
you can see our baby tree is lined up with not only the trees on the
other side of the drive, but also lined up with the corner tree in the
back here. The middle tree in this photo is not only growing crooked
but was not properly lined up when it was planted which is still fine
for us. We still love it and will let it go. We aren't perfectionists.
We
now have 2 new baby trees all lined up to flank our drive way. They
should be beautiful when they grow to full height. I know it will take
time. What do you think of them? Good luck on your tree planting
projects!

Kitchen Counter Tops

2009-05-18T17:22:40-05:00

Kitchen Counter Tops

Madura Gold

Golden Sand

Although
we haven't yet decided what type of counter tops to put in the Stone
House, while browsing I ran across this site on Granite and Marble
counter tops and couldn't believe all the choices that are available.
OMG you could get lost on this site because they have hundreds to chose
from. I know that granite
is becoming very popular to use in today's kitchens and I will have to
do a bit more reading on the care of granite counter tops. I did find
two that I really like and think may fit in with our Victorian Country
Charm kitchen. What do you think of these two? Should we go with
granite, marble, or something else. I would really like to hear you
opinions. If you are looking for counter tops for your kitchen be sure
to check out this site. They have so many color and pattern choices to
select from. I know you'll find something you love!

Hemloq - Skin Care The Natural Way

2009-05-17T17:53:32-05:00

Hemloq - Skin Care The Natural Way

I was recently given a few Hemloq
products to try on my ultra dry skin. As a woman over 50 and living in
a very dry climate my skin had become unbearable and wrinkles were
appearing everywhere on my face making me look like I was closer to 80
than my actual age. It was awful to see myself in the mirror that way.
So I was so anxious to try the Hemloq products when they came.

I
was sent samples of the Daily Repair Serum, the Day Moisture Cream, and
the Eye Gel to try. When I first opened the package I was disappointed
to see that most of the Daily Repair Serum had leaked out so there was
very little left of it to try. I used it first so I wouldn't miss out.
It was very light feeling on my face, not heavy at all and made my skin
feel silky smooth. A great improvement right away! I was really wishing
that it hadn't leaked so I could have continued to use it.

I
couldn't wait to try the eye gel too because along with others in my
family we tend to get puffiness under the eyes especially if we don't
get enough sleep. Sleep? What is that? The eye get really did help with
the puffiness, in fact it has almost disappeared completely.

The
Day Moisture Cream is something every woman should have on hand to help
retain the natural moisture in their skin. True I had very little
moisture in my skin, so I wanted to keep what ever moisture I had left
and this Day Moisture Cream really helped. My skin is so much softer to
the touch now and a lot of the wrinkles have diminished to the point
that I can hardly see some of them. Yes I still have quite a few and am
still waiting for the miracle to happen. I think most of my problem is
that I don't drink enough water.

Of the three Hemloq products
that I tried, I was most impressed with the Daily Repair Serum and
would love to have gotten a larger sample. Alas it has to go on my
shopping list. I would recommend Hemloq products to everyone. Hemloq
uses only natural ingredients
in their products keeping things simple and each is fully disclosed on
their site. Their philosophy "Beauty lies in the simplest and purest of
thing" is shown in their products using Vitamins, minerals, nutrients,
and antioxidants found in nature. You'll never find harsh chemicals or
artificial colorants. If you want natural glowing healthy skin you'll
want to try Hemloq.

The Stone House - Small Updates

2009-05-17T17:49:47-05:00

Hubby went into town Saturday to pick up the lumber to redo the
fascia on the front of the Stone House. It will look so much better
when it's done. The way it looks now it really looks like a shabby
neglected derelict. And let's face it, for seven years it has been. He
also picked up some things for outside like a new hose and parts for a
drip system for watering the new trees. He likes to use the Orbit
DripMaster system for watering plants, trees, shrubs and gardens. It
gets the job done and saves on water and money. The Osage trees that we
planted are peeking through now and we want to make sure that we don't
lose any of them.

We then drove to The Stone House and hubby did
a bit of work on the two outside water pumps and got them both working
with no leaks, but when he went to tighten one up that was dripping a
bit it broke off so now we need a new head for the pump. The one in the
picture is the one that broke off. It was pretty rusty anyway and had
been put on crooked to begin with. Which is probably why it broke.

But
having water to the outside with no leaks anywhere, we can now start
replacing the plumbing on the inside of the house and get it
up-to-date. It will be so nice to finally have a bathroom of our own
again. Sharing one bathroom with eight people is not an easy task let
me tell you. Finding some me time is nearly impossible. For a woman
it's especially frustrating because we enjoy a long hot bath one in
awhile. But my time is coming. Yay!

Pink Bumble Bee

2009-05-15T11:59:51-05:00

Have you noticed the pink Bumble Bee cans? They are part of the Bumble Bee BeeWell Miles promotion
to help raise money for Breast Cancer. I'm walking to help raise money
with BeeWellMiles. So far I have raised over $8.00 and still walking.
You can participate by walking or with the BeeWellMiles Games and be a
winner too. They are giving away over 15,000 prizes including:

GrandPrize: $25,000 weeklong Spa trip for 2.
$40. Free Flower Bouquet
$100 Lady Footlocker Gift Card
$20 BeeWellCheck
Free Music Downloads.

Be sure to check it out and enter your codes from BumbleBee labels.