They Didn't Hatch

This was the week we've been waiting for! Our little chicks should have arrived in the mail today. But they didn't.

The folks over at My Pet Chicken called to let me know that the four breeds we chose didn't all hatch on the same day as they had hoped. (You can read about the breeds we chose and why we chose them here). If we want to wait on the four breeds we picked out, they won't ship until May 2nd. And even that is iffy. We need them much sooner than that so we can have them out of their brooder and into the coop before the scorching summer heat sets in. 

I'm going to call the helpful people at My Pet Chicken tomorrow to see if we can switch our order around a bit so we can get our newest girls in the next couple of weeks. Keeping my fingers crossed because I am so ready for my chick fix!

The Chicken Bath. Seriously.

Yesterday I did something I never thought I'd do. I bathed my chicken. Seriously.

My dear Flo has really fluffy tail feathers and I noticed that they were getting dirty (I'll spare you the details). I did some googling and found that it was possible and recommended to give the chicken a bath in this case. It was a gorgeous 80 degree day so I figured it was a good time to tackle it.

I was super nervous. I assembled a small army to help me thinking that bathing a chicken would be like bathing a cat. I fully expected chicken claws and beaks to be flying. Flo seriously surprised me. As soon as I put her in the warm water, she relaxed and didn't fight it at all. (The water looks especially dirty as she had given herself a dust bath right before her "real" bath.) Once we washed her up, we put her in another bucket of clean, warm water to rinse her. 

The bath was only the first part of the challenge. I had to blow dry her feathers so she wouldn't get a chill and get herself all dirty again.  This part made me nervous as well but the sweet girl just sat in my lap and let me dry her. I think she actually enjoyed it.

It took forever to get her dry but we finally did. She seemed to be happy with her newer, cleaner self and I was relieved that I didn't completely traumatize her. The other girls were filled with curiosity and I think maybe a little jealous that Flo looked so sparkly clean. 

(PS - our baby chicks arrive in the mail next week! Stay tuned...)

Some Valentine's Love with The Savvy Mom's Guide

If you haven't visited The Savvy Mom's Guide yet, you absolutely must head over there. Bri and Amy are the super fun and sweet mama's behind TSMG. They have found that spray paint, scrapbook paper and fabric can give anything a face lift. The dollar bin at Target is better than a sale rack at Nordstrom's (well maybe not, but that is what they tell their husbands). Pictures of family are priceless compared to framed art (and cheaper). And nothing is better than Starbucks......but you can live without it, as long as you have a good coffee creamer.

These savvy mamas recently coordinated an adorable Valentine's Day candy shoppe themed photo shoot with the incredibly talented Christine of Racz Photography.

 

I was thrilled when they asked me to send some clothes over for the shoot. Seriously, how flipping cute are these little kiddos?

You can see where the kids get it from because their mamas are gorgeous! And incredibly sweet too. To see more photos from their shoot and to learn how to be a savvy mama yourself, be sure to stop by and pay them a visit. 

The Savvy Mom's Guide

Will You Be Mine? (and a giveaway!)

Jennifer of Jlyn Photography sent these adorable photos over and in the spirit of Valentine's Day, I had to share them.  What a little heart breaker this guy is!

I am in love with her little setup. From the LOVE banner to the lollipop. So cute.

And how sweet is this little girl? She is rockin' that fedora.

Thanks so much for the sweet pictures, Jennifer! If any of you are in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and looking for a photographer, be sure to check out Jlyn Photography. You can also see more of her work here and here.

On a totally unrelated note... Stacy from The InkSpot Workshop is hosting a giveaway for a $50 shop credit to Finley and Oliver. Giveaway ends this Friday. Go here to enter.

Thanks to Stacy for hosting such a fun giveaway! (Stacy and I are collaborating on a fun project - stay tuned for details!).