Review for: Knitworks Butterfly Top & Scooter Set - Girls 4-6x

My daughter picked out this adorable little outfit by Knit Works at Kohls for her first day of school. She was so excited to wear it! Everyday asking me if she could wear it. Well the night before her first day of school I took it out of the closet and the next morning she got herself up and ready for school.

After picking her up, she and her brother started playing and I noticed the skirt seemed to be too big around the waist. Well I was upset, but I figured it was cheap elastic that stretched too much. I honestly figured I'd wash it and it would tighten up and I would just have to make sure she didn't wear it for long periods of time. When I took it out of the washer I noticed the waist still looked too large for her. I felt around the waist and found the elastic was so cheap it had broke! I will attempted to open it up and put in better quality elastic in it myself and will not buy this brand again. Super cute, but terrible quality!

*My reviews are my own thoughts

An update

Well, I haven't written in awhile. We've been crazy busy with getting all the chicks outside, end of school year and start up of summer sports.

We did find we had a roster among our chickens and so when he reached maturity we got 'rid' of him. We aren't allowed rosters in the city. I have to admit eating a chicken from our backyard to a little adjustment mentally, but truthfully what a freeing experience to know everything your meat has been fed and that they weren't cooped up with a terrible life. Plus it did taste better!

Our little garden is growing very nicely. We've had three types of lettuce (I'll have to get all the names from my husband), but not bad. We've also had some squash. The hubby made some squash bread and it was amazing! I'm looking forward to getting my tomatoes and cucumbers! Oh and my strawberry bush has a couple of strawberries on it!

A dog run for the chickens

We are at it again! Today the hubby is outside building a second chicken coop. We have nine chickens; three are for meat and the other six for eggs. We needed a second coop because we read the egg layers will become stressed when the meat chickens leave and don’t come back.

Meat Chicken

It’s taken me a little time to come to peace with meat chickens. It seems mean. Then I think, I have no idea what all is going into the chicken I feed my family this way I will. After getting the meat chickens it is a little easier, they are so different from the egg layers. When we go into the yard the egg layers interact with us, run and play with the kids. The meat chickens, they lay huddle together and eat. They seem less pet like.

Also, to give the chickens more space we bought a dog run. This way they have the area of the dog run to eat and run around. We are now thinking of options to make a cover to protect them from predators (the cat). 

The predator (Scout)

Green House and a Hen House

Since I last posted, we added two more chicks to our family. Our newest chicks are black with a touch of yellow on them. We named them Poe and Buffalo. The black chicks aren't sex typed, so they could be roosters. I have no fear when it comes to Buffalo, this chick is clearly the low man on the totem pole. Now, Poe on the other hand not as sure about. Even though Poe is smaller it pushes the order of things. We aren't allowed to have a rooster in the city, so hopefully it's not otherwise we'll be raising him for meat.

The last few days have been beautiful here in TN, so we've let the chickens spend sometime outside in their coop. They love it! They love all the weeds they get to eat and having more space to run. The dogs love to run over to the coop and check them out. By the end of the day they come back in and sleep pretty soundly.

My husband was also getting anxious to start his seedlings, so he started his tomatoes, peas, cantaloupe and beans. The dilemma is there really is no place in the house to keep them. We ended up going out to the farm store (Tractor Supply) and buying a small inexpensive greenhouse. It took him maybe thirty minuets to put it together and presto he can start putting his seedling out (and not in my house)!

The only issue with the green house, is the kids think it's their new personal playhouse. Hopefully we can keep them out of there. One nice thing is that we put the green house back in the garden area where they normally don't play. 

We also decided to plant some fruit bushes. We have two raspberry, one blueberry, and two blackberry. I'm also thinking about doing a few fruit trees, but honestly we really don't have room. I've also started looking online and properties for sale on a few acres. I would love to get a goat for milk. 

Chicks in the house

My husband has been tossing around an idea for sometime now, this tossing around of an idea means it is just a matter of time before there is follow through, he's wanted to get chickens. Well we live within a city, so really I didn't think this would turn into anything. Then he found out, why yes you can have chickens in the city just not a rooster. 

The sixteen year old shared how one of her girlfriends have chickens. Well ok. I'm willing to think about this. The husband wanted a small garden a few years back, each year it is larger and to be honest we have amazing veggies each summer. I'm happy to consider the chicken idea, but no one but me seems to like eggs! Then my husband ordered a chicken coop. sigh. Then he came home with two chicks, a heat light, and chicken feed.

We are now chicken owners. Looks like next week the husband will add one or two more chickens. They are very cute and the kids love petting them (and washing hands right after). Since we have cats, we are using an old dog create for the chickens (we had to put more fencing around it). The little cat paws can reach in, but not to far. The first night the chickens were in the house, the cats made sure to keep an ever watchful eye on the chicks...I'm sure the chicks slept soundly.