I’ve gathered together some of the hottest gifts this holiday season to make shopping for your family so much easier!

This season I’ve rounded up some of the hottest gifts to make shopping for your people much easier! Whether it’s your family, friends, teachers, etc – Check out my holiday guide to check off those people on your list.

To be totally honest, this guide might have a dual purpose. Not only am I creating this guide to help you get your shopping done easily, but I’m also creating this guide as a resource for myself. As a lot of these items I’ve bought or plan on buying for MY people.

List 1: Perfect for all those tech lovers!

1. Portable speaker
2. Wireless charger
3. Nintendo switch
4. Portable battery pack
5. professional mic
6. Wireless gaming headset
7. Apple pen
8. Video doorbell
9. VR headset
10. Sweatproof wireless earbuds
11. Kindle reader
12. Chromebook duet

List 2 – for the kids in your life

1. Indoor air soccer ball
2. Osomo creative starter kit
3. Lego robot set
4. Frozen castle
5. Cinderella set
6. Lego Super Mario set
7. Tamagotchi
8. Baby Yoda

List 3 – Cozies for the whole family!

1. Kids PJs
2. Fleece robe for him
3. Fleece robe for her
4. Fleece robe for the kids
5. Fleece PJs for him
6. Wool socks for adults
7. Wool socks for kids
8. Fleece PJs for her
9. Wicked good mocks her him
10. Wicked good mocs for her
11. Wicked good mocs for the kids

List 4 – uniques gifts!

1. Ice cream maker
2. Fleece sheets
3. Headlamp
4. 3D pen
5. Tweezer man tweezers… the only pair you’ll ever need!
6. Deep pressure messager
7. Karaoke machine

Alright – We’ll I’m off to shop now!

Thanks for stopping by!

Much Love,

Kori ~From The Farmhouse Life

Decorate with a wooden crate for a festive Holiday display!

Hello Friends. It’s time again for another round of the Pinterest Challenge. Today, I’ll be showing you a fun way to decorate with wooden crates this holiday season.

If you’re coming over from Lora at Create and Ponder – Welcome! And thanks so much for stopping by!  I’m glad you’re here.  Wasn’t her crate beautiful?!

And a special thanks to Cindy from Country Road 407 for organizing all of this! Well, there’s a lot to see so let’s get started.

This month’s inspiration photo comes from Jennifer at The Grace House Interiors.   I love how she added these rustic wooden trees and beautiful evergreen sprigs! The berries give a perfect pop of color too!

The inspiration photo comes from Jennifer at The Grace House Interiors.

I decided for this Pinterest challenge that I was going to think outside of the box. Literally! Instead of layering Christmas goodies inside, I was going to stack mine in my fireplace along with my jars and crocks and Create a sort of pedestal.

I started with my two crates. I stacked one upside down first, that way I could put things on it. The other crate I stacked on its side so it lays vertically. I stacked them differently because I wanted to create varying heights to add dimension to my fireplace.

Next, I wanted to showcase my collection of jars and crocks. So I stacked them throughout the fireplace. Some I stacked on the crates and some right beside the crates.

Lastly, I decided my fireplace display was missing something and needed a pop of color. So I added this faux poinsettia. It adds just the right amount of color and also adds height to the overall display adding more symmetry throughout.

Want to shop this Post? Click an image below!

Now it’s time to check out Julie from My Wee Abode ‘s Christmas crate! Don’t forget to check out all the other links too.  You’re bound to Pin and save several somethings!  😉

PIN ME!!

Thanks so Much for reading along, Pals!

Much Love,

Kori ~From The Farmhouse Life

Some of my favorite beauty tips

I’ve had a blast this week sharing all of my “beauty tips” with you all. I may not have many… and they probably aren’t a secret to everyone… But these are the few I use all the time!

Tip one: Cleansing oils

Cleaning your face and body with an oil cleanser adds moisture and doesn’t strip it away like soap. My body is so smooth now as opposed to when I would used bar soap which would cause me to breakout.

Tip two: Gel Nails

I love to get my nails done at the salon. But boy does that get expensive! I started doing my own at home and very quickly switched to gel because regular polishes would chip. Then I soon found a LED lamp to cure my nails as opposed to the harsh lights of the UV lamps.

Tip three: Eyebrow Pencil

I get asked a lot about my eyebrows oddly enough. People ask if they’re naturally thick and full or if I’ve ever done Microblading. I’ve never done microblading but I’m so intrigued by it! I just fill mine in with a thin tip mechanical eyebrow pencil. I like the ones that have a brush on the other end to comb it out.

Tip: four: Skincare routine

My skincare routine is very simple. But it is recommended by my dermatologist. She says she thinks all women should be on a vitamin C serum and some sort of retinol (Vitamin A). I Use the CeraVe system because it works so well with Differin. Differin is technically an acne product but it contains the highest amount of vitamin A on the market that you can get over the counter!

Tip five: Flutter Habit

Flutter Habit is a DIY eyelash extension product that you apply yourself and the lashes stay on 5-7 days. When you order them they send you a month’s supply so If one falls off during the week you can reapply another. I love the look of eyelash extensions. Mainly because I love a finished look – and not having to put mascara on every day saves me time. Plus, Mascara isn’t going to give you the same look as eyelash extensions.

Tips 6: Tinkle Razors

The last tip is one that I live by! Facial razors! I love Tinkle because They’re sharp and meant to be used all over your face. I use them a few times a week to keep my face hair-free. No, I don’t find that my hair grows back thicker or darker. I’ve been doing this for years. I also feel like using them exfoliates my skin and my makeup goes on smoother!

As promised ~ For all those watching this week in stories on Instagram ~ I promised to announce a winner! I’m giving away a beauty bundle with my favorites!

The winner is…  @sorapadoodledoo DM me on Instagram your address~ Congrats!

Thanks so much for reading along!!

Much Love,

Kori ~ The farmhouse Life

Make a batch of homemade strawberry jam with only 3 ingredients in minutes!

Strawberry jam is a family favorite in my house. It pairs so well with my soft homemade bread! We eat a lot… of both!

The downside is that the suger content is really high and you never really know what else they put in the store-bought jars. Things like high fructose corn syrup and preservatives just to name a few.

So I’ve decided this is one of those foods that I can make myself. That way I know what’s in it and I can feel good when they slather!

I’ve done some experimenting with different ingredients and I’ve come up with the best tasting – easiest – and quickest to make!

We like the taste of strawberries and want our jam to taste like strawberries and not candy. Every time my kids slather this jam on their bread they always say it tastes so fresh – just like they’re eating fresh strawberries.

This strawberry refrigerator jam will last 7-10 days in the fridge. I try and make at least two small jars at a time. I mean – we make a lot of PB & Js over here!

Step one: Gather your ingredients

For this recipe, you’ll need 1 lb of strawberries, a cup of sugar, and 1/4 cup of lemon juice. Pour all of your ingredients into a bowl and mix it all well.

Blend and cook your ingredients

After all the ingredients are mixed well, toss them into the blender and let it pulse a few times to break up the strawberries. next,  put them in a pot and cook on low/med heat. Be sure to bring this mixture up to a boil and stir frequently. If you don’t notice your jam thickening, keep cooking. It will eventually thicken. If not add more sugar and cook longer.

Step three: Allow to cool and pour

Allow the mixture to sit and cool and then pour into your jars. Be sure to store it in the fridge for up to a week!

And…Done

Check out this awesome video from Willian Sonoma which shows you all the steps for homemade 3 ingredient jam!

Thanks for reading along!

Much Love,

Kori ~ The farmhouse Life

Add a festive coffee and hot cocoa bar this Holiday season to warm you up and save your budget!

If you’re coming over from Aliya, welcome! Wasn’t her hot cocoa bar gorgeous?!

Well – It’s that time of year where a hot beverage in our hands is a must! Honestly, I can’t seem to work proficiently without one! I’ll admit – I’m a sucker for a good Starbucks latte.

But boy can those get pricey. Especially if you have little to no will power like me. All of a sudden my “once in a while” coffee treat turned into an “every other day” coffee treat. And my budget went out the window.

My husband would ask “Um – Kori… do you really need that many Starbucks lattes?” And of course, my answer is yes! But the more I thought about it the more I realized it was time to maybe invest in my own Latte maker. So this year I decided I was going to upgrade my coffee/hot cocoa bar with a Nespresso machine!

Pin me!!

A festive hot cocoa bar

Every year I try and make my coffee bar festive for the Holidays. I’ll add cute jars and baskets with all the fixings for yummy hot cocoa or a sweet delicious coffee. My kids love coming home from school and helping themselves to warm cocoa with an absurd amount of marshmallows.

This year I’m adding a Nespresso machine to the mix so now I can make my own caramel latte or macchiatos any time I want. Really the possibilities are endless because with a Nespresso machine you can really make any specialty drink. And… he’s to hoping with my own Latte maker, my budget will be saved as well.

The key to a good coffee and hot cocoa bar:

The key to a good coffee and hot cocoa bar is having EVERYTHING that someone might need on hand to make their beverage. So for instance, if someone is going to make hot cocoa they’ll for sure need water. That’s why I put an electric tea kettle on my bar filled with water. I also have jars filled with marshmallows, candy canes, and chocolates. Whatever the heart might desire.

And for coffee fixings of course there’s hot cocoa for mochas, caramel syrup for lattes, and a milk frother/ steamer for the perfect frothed topping!

Add some festive holiday decor

Adding some of your favorite Holiday decor is a sure way to make your coffee bar so festive and more appealing.

I like to add copper touches because to me, copper just feels like Christmas! I also added some of my favorite Holiday mugs and a few teacups with saucers so I can pretend to be fancy.

I try and add “wintery” touches so it can stay around long after Christmas (not that we need the temptation in the new year). Decorations like pinecones and evergreen sprigs will not look out of place well past Christmas.

Click on an image below to shop this post!

Be sure to pin this post for inspiration later!

That’s it for me! Now it’s time to go check out Kristin’s gorgeous hot cocoa bar

And be sure to check out the others hot cocoa bars below!

Check out all these fabulous coffee/hot cocoa bar ideas and be inspired to slow down this holiday season.

White Arrows Home / Pine & Prospect Home / The Tattered Pew

Thistlewood Farms / Open Door Home / The Farmhouse Life

Thanks so much for reading along, everyone!

Much love,

Kori ~ The farmhouse life

Make your own homemade bread with a few ingredients and a little time!

Making homemade bread has never been easier… and believe me. I was an avid breadmaker user for years! I loved my breadmaker. All you have to do is dump your ingredients in and wait 4 hours. But after perfecting this recipe, I find that it takes half that time AND it comes out softer and more delicious!

Making homemade bread has so many benefits in comparison to store-bought bread. First of all, there’s the bonus of actually knowing what your eating. Store bread’s ingredients list is long and sort of looks like a chemistry experiment. Homemade bread has only 5 ingredients that you can pronounce.

Another benefit is that each loaf costs pennies compared to store loaves that can be much more expensive.

Plus they freeze really well. I like to make a few batches at a time to freeze for later in the week.

To start – Grab your ingredients!

The ingredients list is so simple. All you’ll need to gather is:

1. White flour
2. Water
3. Salt
4. Sugar
5. Yeast

You can use any white flour you like. Bread flour is going to make the fluffiest bread. If you wanted to make whole wheat bread you can substitute 1 of the cups of white flour for whole wheat or rye flour. Whatever whole grain flour you want to use is fine. Just make sure you only substitute 1  or 2 cups max! Otherwise, it’ll be too dense and won’t rise.

Mix your dry ingredients

Add in all of your dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. I like to use metal only because it holds in the heat well and in order for your bread to rise, it’s going to need to be warm.

Add in 4 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons yeast, salt, and sugar. Then mix well.

Add your water

Once your dry ingredients are mixed well, you can add in your water mixture slowly. This recipe requires 2 cups of water. My trick is that I add 1 1/2 cups of room temperature water and 1/2 cup of boiling water. This seems to create the perfect temperature for your yeast to grow and your bread to rise.

Slowly add in your water to the dry ingredients a little at a time. Use a fork to mix. Keep adding until you have a ball forming. It’s going to be a really sticky ball – but you’ll see it go from a bunch of tiny clumps to one large clump.

Let rise

After your dough has been formed cover your bowl and set it somewhere warm. I like to put mine near my woodstove. I know some people who let their bread rise in a closet, near the stove, or even near a heating grate. You know your house best and know where the warm spots are. Let it sit covered for an hour.

Grease your pan

Next, grease your pan with something thick – like Crisco, butter, or lard. I haven’t tried coconut oil. I don’t know if that’ll work, but most oils won’t work. Olive oil will just absorb into your dough and won’t coat your pan once it’s baking.

You want to be able to dump it out of your pan when it’s finished baking. Believe me – If you don’t spend enough time greasing your bread pan – you’ll know it. You’ll be scraping your beautiful bread out of your pan. And It’s not fun!

After the hour is up transfer your dough to your greased bread pan. The dough is going to be sticky. It helps to coat your fingers in Crisco so not too much sticks to you.

Once your dough is in your pan, place it somewhere warm to rise once more for an hour. This time your pan should not be covered. Your bread will rise a lot this second round and a towel will only restrict it from rising.

Preheat your oven

Preheat your oven to 425* and place your bread in the oven on the middle rack. Let it bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn the oven down to 350* for another 20 minutes.

When the time is up, take the bread out of the oven immediately and dump your loaf out of the pan. Allow the bread to cool on a cooling rack.

That’s all!

Once your bread has cooled – enjoy! After about 10 minutes we literally can’t wait for a second longer to try it! There’s nothing better than warm bread! We love ours with butter and a little homemade strawberry jam.

Next week I’ll share a super easy jam recipe that I make from time to time with frozen strawberries leftover from the summer.

Download the recipe card here!

Click on an image below to shop for the supplies in this recipe!

Thanks for reading along pals!

Much love,

Kori~ from the farmhouse life

Grab those hot Christmas decorations before they sell out!

I know it might feel early for a Christmas post, but I feel like whenever I wait for the season to buy my Christmas decor everything is sold out! Especially if it’s the newer and trendier decor. Some of my Amazon favorites I go back for each year like beaded garland and Christmas ribbon sells out so quickly! And If I by chance find it closer to Christmas it’s like 3 times the original price!

That’s why Every October I try and get those hot items that I know will sell out and I stock up. For instance, I love red ticking Christmas ribbon to hang my Christmas wreaths on. For some reason, I can never find it in-store. I see it pop up on Amazon and they only seem to have it in stock until about the middle of October.

This is why I’ve rounded up some of my favorite farmhouse Christmas decorations on Amazon to help you get ahead of the game. I’ll also show you my favorite ways to use those decorations to decorate at Christmas time!

1. LED Flameless candles

Photo Credit

2. Burlap striped Christmas tree garland

3. Buffalo check Christmas pillows

4. Rustic Bead Garland

Photo credit 

5. Red burlap Farmhouse Christmas tree skirt

6. Galvanized greenery buckets

photo credit

7. Pre-lit Christmas eucalyptus garland

Photo credit 

8. Red ticking Christmas Ribbon

Photo credit 

9. White knit Christmas stocking

Photo Credit

10. Buffalo Check Christmas ribbon

Photo credit 

It’s never too early for Christmas

I always say It’s ever too early for Christmas! Especially if you’re looking to get a jump on your Christmas decor shopping by stocking up before the season actually hits. This will ensure you don’t miss out on those good sales or miss out altogether. Sometimes these popular items sell out and then never restock!  Plus, if decorating for Christmas early makes you happy – I say go or it!

Want to shop for the items in the pictures? You can click the images themselves up above or click the images in the corral below!

Thanks so much for reading along pals,

Much Love,

Kori ~ from The Farmhouse Life

Farmhouse Fall decor tour to get in the spirit!

This is my absolute favorite time of year! Anyone else?! From about September first to January first, I get those holiday warm and fuzzy feelings. Since the wee hours of September, I’ve been making Fall centerpieces and wreaths to get in the spirit.

I may have even put on a few lbs too because the chillier weather makes me want to bake! I mean who can resist a slice of pumpkin pie?! And with all those fresh pumpkins on my porch just asking to be baked!

Well, here we are into our first week of October and I’m ready to show you guys my farmhouse Fall tour! Just in time too because later this week I’ll start to add some Halloween decor to the mix!

I’m not really a huge Halloween decor fan, but it’s fun to add a few things for the kids. Plus, it’s a great way to get the kids in on the mix by doing a few Haloween crafts!

Alright, let’s get this Fall tour started?!

Let’s pretend that there is inspirational music playing in the background. Like… Vivaldi’s Autumn. Ok, let’s all be honest. I’m sure this time of year we’re all sneaking Hallmark Christmas movies – and not listening to “Fall” inspired music. But just for now, let’s pretend to set the mood.

Now pretend like you have a cup of coffee in your hand. You know, a warm mug with a piping hot latte inside. It even has one of those pretty leaves formed from your steamed milk.

oh and ps. I learned this week that 90% of those coffee cups you see on the internet with perfectly formed steamed milk are fake! There’s a sight that you can copy and paste that perfect steamed leaf right into your own cup! I was kinda mad at first…and also super intrigued. I may have saved the site to try out later. So now you know If you ever see an image of me with a perfect latte – it’s fake!

Now imagine there is a fall candle burning beside you and that you are covered in cozy blankets and pillows (all fall-themed by the way) while you are watching this tour. Did I go one too far? No?! OK, now that I’ve rambled – Check out my Fall tour! A few of the images are DIY’s that I’ll link at the bottom so you can try them out yourself!

Dining room

Entryway

Sitting room

Family room

Master bedroom

That’s all folks!

Thanks so much for popping in to see my Fall farmhouse decorating tour! If you want to check out some fun fall DIYs I’ll link them below!

DIY Fall front porch sign

DIY faux pumpkin floral centerpiece 

DIY Fall welcome mat

If you’re looking to shop my home I have most of things linked and categorized by room. Happy shopping!

Thanks so much for reading along, pals!

Much Love,

Kori~ from the Farmhouse Life

Basket wall round up

I love a good basket wall. I love the texture that it adds to a wall and the fun patterns in which to display them. I also love the Boho-Farmhouse style that they add to any space. And you all know – I love me some Boho-Farmhouse!

The best part is that if you don’t mind getting thrifty then you can put together a basket wall for next to nothing! I can understand figuring out how to arrange one is the tricky part which I why I’ve rounded up 10 of my favorite basket wall patterns! I’ve also linked at the bottom of this post my favorite places to shop for baskets!

1. The minimalist

This is one of my favorite patterns because it requires very little effort and very few baskets. Just group together three baskets so you have one higher, one medium height, and one lower height so it creates a zigzag pattern like so.

2. The oval cluster

Source

I like the oval cluster design because it’s just wide enough to style over a large bed. In this photo, Irene has used her basket wall in lieu of a headboard. It works so well because the basket wall as a whole is grand and is about the size of her bed. So it works quite well. Symmetry is key here. You’ll notice there is one basket starting at the highest point and the rest zig zags down, creating an overall oval shape.

3. The cascading arch

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If you’re looking to fill up a wall that is taller rather then wider, then the cascading arch might be your best bet. Whenever adding wall art of any kind to any space you always want to consider the size of the wall and the size of the artwork. You want them to be pretty equivalent to each other.

4. The rectangle

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What I love about the rectangle method is that you really can go as wide as you need which makes it the perfect wall art to hang behind your sofa. What’s interesting is that they’ve used different shades of woven material with different tribal patterns, but they all coordinate so well. Generally, the rule of thumb is that when introducing new colors you want to at least tie it in once. So two of each new color – but you only want to introduce 2-3 colors max. When it comes to coordinating patterns it’s totally ok to mix and match. As long as there is generally only one larger pattern and several smaller to medium size patterns. Your eye always wants to land on one spot and if there are large patterns all over the place it won’t know where to go.

5. The eye-catcher

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Another great way to use baskets as wall art is to use one large basket or serving tray and layer a wreath or sign right on top of the basket, just like in this picture. It looks adorable and is so simple. I find baskets like these all the time when I shopping at thrift stores.

6. Woven wall organizers

Joanna Gaines has taught us to much but one of my favorite things is to think outside of the box when it comes to wall art. She was one of the first who introduced us to 3-D wall art and she’s showing us a great example in this picture. These larger woven baskets can cost a little more but once in a while, I’ll get lucky and find a woven laundry basket at a thrift store. Woven laundry baskets are great because the bottom is perfect for your large plants or indoor trees and the top is great to add to a basket wall. Here, Joanna is using it as a wall organizer. Such a great idea to pin “to-do” lists and your favorite prints on!

7. The mix and match

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What I love about this design is that it’s so simple and yet adds so much texture to this design! The three baskets to the right of the picture cascading down from small to large balances the artwork on the left so well. The reason this works is because proportionality they are the same length from top to bottom. The horizontal artwork on the top balances everything out so well. It squares off the whole design giving it symmetry.

8. Tabacco baskets

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I love the open weave on a tabasco basket. They are surprisingly pretty affordable too! This set is styled with a large and medium basket on top of each other and white plates on either side. You see, The baskets alone don’t quite fit the scale of the table, but with the added plates it works perfectly. You always want your wall art to mimic the scale of the table below it.

9. The layered behind

In this look, I took two baskets and layered one behind a clock that was hand-carved and the other I put underneath the clock. I wanted the clock to be front and center but because it’s just a tad too small, I added some bulk to make it scale better on the mantel. This large basket I get asked quite often about, but it was actually the top to a laundry basket I found at a thrift store!

10. One large basket

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And lastly, this large basket works so well over this table because it adds the perfect neutral to this area! There is so much to look at with the ceramic jars and the bold pops of color that the basket works to neutralize everything. It also adds a beautiful texture AND ties in the color of the table in! This is one of my favorite designs!

Shopping for baskets

When shopping for baskets to create wall art I will first and foremost always check with thrifts stores. People donate a surprising amount of baskets. After that Etsy is a great resource and then Walmart and Target. I have noticed you can buy a collection of beautiful baskets as a set in stores like Pottery barn, Ballards, etc – but you’ll definitely pay for them as they are not cheap!

Click on an image below if you want to shop for baskets!

Thanks so much for reading along, pals!

Much Love,

Kori ~ from The Farmhouse Life

Updating a light fixture for next to nothing!

Since buying our 300-year-old farmhouse 5 years ago we have been slowly renovating each room. We do all of our renovations ourselves in our spare time and when we have some extra money. Check out our journey to the farm here!

Sometimes days, months, or even years after we’ve finished a room in our home it doesn’t quite feel right. Like maybe I choose the wrong wall color or maybe I need to add a pop of color somewhere in the space. Sometimes it’s an easy fix and other times it’s not so cost-effective.

Well, Lately I’ve been second-guessing my light fixture choices in a few rooms and have been wanting to trade them in but they’re perfectly good condition! They’re newish and in perfect condition. AND I don’t hate them… I just wish they were solid black and didn’t have white candlesticks.

The simplest and most inexpensive solution is to give them a makeover with a little spray paint. The best part is that this DIY only takes about 5-minutes and only costs about $5! What can’t we solve with a little paint and DIY power?

Step 1: Choose the light fixture to makeover and remove the pieces you want to spray paint.

I have one light fixture in my dining room that whenever I see it I think… “I wish the candlesticks weren’t white!”… then it hit me one day! How easy would it be if I popped them off and spray painted them? So easy! So I made sure the lights were off and the bulbs were cooled off and unscrewed each bulb. I put my bulb pile somewhere safely and took my plastic candlesticks to the barn and put them on some scrap material so I could prep and spray paint.

Step 2: Get to spray painting!

First, I grabbed the spray paint I’ll be using. I’ll be sure to link it at the bottom of the post. I love spray paint because it’s cheap. A can usually runs under $5 and works with just about any material! I’m using black flat paint and primer because I want good coverage and I want it to look like my metal light fixture and metal usually doesn’t have a high gloss. I gave it a thin coat – waited for them to dry, and then rolled them over and spray painted the other side once they were all good and dry. Then I gave them all a second coat. Make sure everything is nice and dry before moving on.

Step 3: Reassemble!

After everything dry I put my candlesticks back on my light fixture. Next, I screwed my light bulbs back in and voila! Done!

Want to shop the supplies from this post? Click on an image below!

Thanks so much for reading along, pals!

Much Love,

Kori ~ at The Farmhouse Life