Frigid wind chills have swept our region this week, and our poor hens have been hanging out inside most of the time. Us too, actually. Why go out more than you have to when you can snuggle inside in comfy sweatshirts and fleecy PJs?

Here’s what I’ve been reading this week:

Things You Didn’t Know About Eggs – Here’s an interesting post on egg and layer facts. I actually really didn’t like a couple of things in this article, but sometimes the things that get me fired up make me want to share about it. One disturbing fact in this article was how many male chicks are killed by the laying industry yearly (can anyone say WASTEFUL?). The next was the quote on cholesterol… but did you know that high cholesterol in eggs is primarily a problem found in commercial layers? Which leads us to the next article…

Free Range Eggs: The Good Egg– From Mother Earth News. Did you know that free-range eggs have half the cholesterol of the typical store-bought egg, and many more times the nutrient? So perhaps the idea of too many eggs being bad for your health is born out of the unhealthy way we raise our commercial chickens. Things that make you go hmmm…. and one more reason to buy local farm-raised eggs or to raise your own.

Being Frank About Family Size– I really appreciated Sarah’s gracious, yet unapologetic approach to family size. We shouldn’t criticize the mother who wants eight children close together, nor the mother who wants only one or two. “The quiver is full with how many are in there,” she reminds us, and I couldn’t agree more. While you’re at it, check out I Was That Mother In The Grocery Store for a little courage in facing your daily routines with children who act like- uhhh- children.

Ten Smart Ways to Build an Emergency Fund– Remember that post I wrote on emergency funds? Ruth at Living Well Spending Less offers some practical ways to begin building that fund for a rainy day.

Read on, and have a spectacular Saturday!