Haute on the Ranch: Farm Life Staples

Hey everyone! Sarah Shellenberger here from @thewesternmomma and I’m so honored to share a little peek inside of our Oklahoma farm with y’all, today.

Being a mom is a full time job. But being a mom with land and animals and another full time job (I’m an elementary school teacher) can be super overwhelming sometimes. If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I became a widow in 2020. So figuring out life on the farm as a first time mom without my husband has been a challenge.

I lean on my family a LOT, and am learning to be ok with asking others for help when it comes to problem solving issues around the farm. I’ve learned a lot about busted gates, zero turns that won’t start, which horse needs which feed and why, etc, etc, etc. It’s definitely been a learning curve, but I love this way of life and love learning the ins and outs of things that my late husband used to manage. It’s important to me to be able to pass this knowledge on to our son and watch him learn how to help out, as he gets older.

One of the things that helps me a ton, is a good routine. Am I always able to stick to it? No way. But I try to have a flow to the day and my son and the animals respond well to it, which helps a lot.

As soon as Hayes wakes up each morning we get breakfast going. After breakfast we feed the indoor animals and then make our way out to the barn to feed the horses. My parents got Hayes a wagon with a seatbelt for his first birthday and it has been a lifesaver! I strap him in there and love knowing he’s safe and secure while I clean the stalls, check water and feed. Thankfully the barn is one of his very favorite places and he is super content being in there and watching the animals.

After barn chores we try to squeeze in some playtime before his morning nap. It’s a bit of a juggling act to get some of my “have-to’s” knocked out during this time, but I know I’ll miss these open days at home with him when I’m back in school in a few weeks.

One of Hayes’ very favorite things to play with are his farm sets and farm animals. When he was about to turn one, I decided I wanted to start a special collection for him that he could grow into. I searched for a set of farm | ranch toys that he would love as he got older, and discovered Little Buster. They’re such great quality and are made right here in Oklahoma!

He got a set of bulls and a couple of horses and a feeder for his 1st birthday. When he took his first steps, I ordered him a show pig and we actually won a Hereford bull, cow and calf, so his collection is off to a great start! I’m excited to continue to add to it for special occasions and holidays.

He’s too little to really play with these quite yet, but is super interested in them and will be so excited when he is able to get these off of his shelf. I was so happy to see that Savannah Sevens is carries Little Buster toys, and will definitely be adding to his collection through the S7’s website.

 Little Buster Toys | Savannah Sevens

When it’s supper time, I’m always trying to figure out meals that I can make that both of us will love. Thankfully, Hayes is a really good eater so far, so I’m able to eat things that I like, and introduce him to a variety of dishes. One of our favorite quick meals is grilled steak or chicken with veggies. Scott, my late husband, was super talented on the grill and had a bunch of different ways he would marinate the meats. While I love to cook and bake, making up seasoning blends isn’t my thing, so I will take any help I can get! The new seasoning blends from Savannah Sevens are delicious and super easy to just sprinkle on your meat before grilling. We’ve used the steak one (so yummy) and can’t wait to try the others as well!

Casa M Spice Co Mini Ranch Pack | Savannah Sevens

I used to have a little pie business and would sell pies at farmer’s markets around Oklahoma on the weekends. I haven’t made many pies since Scott died, but hope to get back to it someday. I wanted to share the recipes for a recent meal that we loved. Steak, Tzatziki Panzanella and S’mores Pie. The panzanella is a new recipe I found (and loved), but the S’mores pie was one of my very best selling pies. It’s absolutely delicious and SO easy! I hope you enjoy them!

Panzanella Recipe | The Western Momma

S’mores Pie Recipe | The Western Momma

If you’re on Instagram, please look me up- I’d love to connect! Thank you for allowing me to share a little piece of our farm life with you, today. 

XO- Sarah & Hayes

Photos: Lulubird Creative

Sarah ~ Dress: The Langdon | Earrings: Nisula Earrings