Chelsea Day

dog eating fresh pet food from a bowl

The Freshest Pet Food for our Family Dog

We have another family dog making the rounds here at the farm house! Sweet little Freya is an adopted German Shepherd mix of some sort. I’m planning to do a test at some point to determine her dog breed since people constantly ask what she is. One thing we did learn about her quite quickly is that she requires fresh pet food.

reading books with kids

9 Reasons to Homeschool

Free time, family connection and deeper learning opportunities are things we get to enjoy with our kids at home. Here’s a detailed list of our reasons to homeschool.

Sausage bites

Sausage Bites Straight out of Little Italy

These savory sausage bites are a perfect pairing of meaty sausage with melty cheese. The Italian flavor packed into these petite packages was inspired by San Diego’s Gaslamp district, a historic region known largely as the seaside spot where fine diners and club-goers comingle. The Italian charm in the area has recently localized quite a bit into the adjacent region known as Little Italy.

Food safety kit

Family Food Safety Made Simple

This year didn’t get off to the healthiest start. A minor cold and a MAJOR bout of food poisoning came at us while we were traveling. Now that we’re back home, I’ve been steering into the drive-through too often. I’ll admit I got spooked away from the kitchen – the sight of raw meat still churns my stomach a bit. So while everyone else was committing to gym-going, smoothie-making and daily yoga, I decided to focus on family food safety. I made a simple commitment to get us back into a simple, healthy routine.

A Neato Botvac Review from a Dirty Farm

Our family lives a dirty, messy life. We travel a ton, bringing all sorts of sand and grime home. Our suitcases usually land on a dusty floor in the bedroom before we run around dealing with chickens, sheep, goats, dogs and cats. This particular Neato Botvac review is definitely putting the vacuum through its paces. Grime is next-level around here, along with Cheerios, LEGOs and a whole manner of other random trinkets that wind up under our feet. If anything were to break this piece of glorious technology, it would be us.

Word of the Year: Light

Another year, another word of the year. In our case, we always base our word of the year on a chosen verse that guides our lives for the next 365 days. This year we’re taking it back to basics. Going all the way back to Genesis with God’s first words: let there be light.

A Cleaning List with ALL the Forgotten Crannies

Setting the stage for the holidays? We always know to sweep the floors, clean the windows, and wipe down the counters – but there’s a whole host of stuff to think about beyond that. Guests see the whole picture when they visit! Here’s a cleaning list that will make sure you get all the most important little crevices in ship-shape for the holidays.

The Easiest Car Seat I’ve Ever Installed

This is gonna be straightforward and to the point. I’ve gotten a few messages on Instagram recently asking for advice on car seat installation. Lots of baffled, busy parents really just want the ONE car seat solution. The easiest car seat to install, one that can take them from infanthood up to elementary school and get switched from car-to-car in the interim. So here ya go.

The Flexible Travel Laptop for Families On the Go

I’ve talked about having a personal computer separate from my work computer, using kids messenger programs, and even trying voice control with TV. We’re BIG on tech around here. Having a travel laptop dedicated to being used on the road, though? That’s a hot topic. It’s controversial to integrate a screen into a vacation. Most families think this time should be devoted to personal connections. Here’s how our travel laptop helps us learn more, have more fun, and free up more time to spend together.