Summary of Podcast Episode 301: "Design Decisions, Third Trimester Updates, and Finding Enjoyment in the Process + More Q&A!"

Release Date: August 5, 2025

Podcast Information:

• Title: Simple Farmhouse Life
• Host: Lisa Bass
• Description: With over ten years of experience in home-making, Lisa Bass, a mother of eight, shares her passion for from-scratch cooking, natural living, and handmade crafts. As a full-time blogger and homeschooler, Lisa also provides insights into mom life and business tips.

1. Building Update

In this episode, Lisa provides an extensive update on her ongoing home construction project. She delves into the challenges and triumphs of building a unique farmhouse, emphasizing the thoughtful and unhurried approach her team is taking.

Key Highlights:

• Progress and Patience: Lisa expresses her satisfaction with the current state of construction, noting, “I’m seeing it all come together now that the metal is on all the roofs, the chimneys are bricked, I’m seeing the proportions...” (00:00). She appreciates the slower pace, attributing it to the builder's scheduling and the complexity of the design.

• Material Decisions: A significant portion of the episode discusses the materials chosen for the farmhouse. Lisa shares, “I have finalized all the decisions on the trim profiles and the wall materials, like where we will put board and batten and where we will put beadboard...” (Entire segment). This meticulous planning ensures that the farmhouse retains its historic charm while incorporating modern elements.

• Roofing Choices: One of the standout topics is the decision to use metal roofs across various sections of the house. Lisa recounts her initial uncertainties and eventual satisfaction: “I never really said much to the builder about it because I didn’t realize that we were moving full steam ahead on that... Once it’s all up there... it looks historic” (Around 05:00). The metal roofs blend seamlessly with the old homestead aesthetic, particularly the gambrel-style roofs on the garage barn.

• Chimney and Garage Updates: Exciting progress includes the brick work on the chimneys and the completion of the garage roofing. “Over the weekend, we have brick now on the chimneys... It really does have the feel that it was an old farmhouse that got added onto” (Approximately 09:00).

Notable Quote:

“I'm really appreciating the way that we've gone about this process, even though nothing about it has been fast or simple. It’s all just been a ton of thought, but I truly am enjoying the slower process of all of this.” — Lisa Bass (00:00)

2. Third Trimester Pregnancy Updates

Lisa transitions to share her personal journey through her third trimester, offering insights into her pregnancy experience, health monitoring, and preparations for the upcoming birth.

Key Highlights:

• Health Monitoring: Lisa discusses her routine with her midwife, mentioning, “I have had three midwife appointments total... I ended up only doing two days because I realized my levels were totally fine” (Around 17:00). She emphasizes the importance of regular check-ups and how her consistent health metrics provide her confidence.

• Baby’s Positioning: She provides details about her baby's position, noting a consistent pattern from previous pregnancies. “My siblings are all roa, which means they're on the right, they are head down...” (Around 21:00). This positioning has generally not caused complications in her past experiences.

• Labor Expectations: Lisa anticipates the birth within two to three days of her due date, based on her past pregnancies. “I expect to have the baby within two or three days of my due date just because I typically always do” (Approximately 24:00).

• Physical Comfort: Addressing physical discomforts, she mentions her tailbone injury from a previous birth and current issues like varicose veins and sore feet. “I do have trouble sitting long term, at least sitting up... I have very painful feet” (Around 25:00). To mitigate these, she incorporates more sitting and rest into her daily routine.

Notable Quote:

“Everything seems to be going well. Last time she was able to find the heartbeat with her fetoscope, which can be a little difficult...” — Lisa Bass (22:00)

3. Finding Enjoyment in the Process

Throughout the episode, Lisa emphasizes the importance of embracing the journey, both in her home-building endeavors and personal life.

Key Highlights:

• Intentional Choices: Taking her time allows Lisa to make more intentional and thoughtful decisions. “The more time I have to think about things, the more hopefully intentional choices I am making” (02:30).

• Design Satisfaction: She expresses contentment with the design elements coming together, such as the proportions and the historic vibe of the farmhouse. “I love how the proportions are turning out and I think I would have messed it up in some way if I tried to do it 100% myself” (Around 15:00).

• Adaptability: Lisa reflects on the flexibility of living in a home under construction, finding relief in having established major components like the driveway and garden locations. “It feels like a weight off of our shoulders knowing that those big pieces are in place and now we can just work within those parameters” (Approximately 06:00).

Notable Quote:

“I'm enjoying it. Some recent updates that are done and very exciting is over the weekend, we have brick now on the chimneys... it looks historic.” — Lisa Bass (08:00)

4. Q&A Session

Towards the end of the episode, Lisa engages with her audience by addressing listener questions. Two notable questions include topics on home building specifics and pregnancy experiences.

Listener Questions Addressed:

1. Storm Doors and Windows:

   • Question: A listener inquires about handling storm doors and windows during home renovations, especially in a farmhouse setting with a large family.
   • Lisa’s Response: She explains, “We actually aren’t doing any storm doors or windows at all... I don’t enjoy screens” (30:31). Lisa emphasizes her preference for an open indoor-outdoor feel, opting instead to use fly strips and rely on her guard dog to manage pests and small animals.

2. Doppler Use During Delivery:

   • Question: Another listener asks about the use of Dopplers to monitor the baby's heartbeat during delivery.
   • Lisa’s Response: She shares her experiences, stating, “We did use the Doppler one time because I wanted to hear the heartbeat before she was able to find it with the fetoscope” (46:31). While acknowledging the controversies surrounding Dopplers, Lisa balances the benefits and risks, ultimately supporting their usage for monitoring during labor.

Notable Quote:

“If you are building a house and you have all of your supplies sitting there and the builder is ready to go, I could see how this would be a much, much faster process. But honestly, we're enjoying it.” — Lisa Bass (07:00)

5. Final Thoughts and Reflections

Concluding the episode, Lisa reiterates her gratitude towards her listeners and encourages engagement through questions and guest suggestions. She reflects on the balance between managing a large family, a home build, and her pregnancy, highlighting the structured yet flexible approach she employs to maintain harmony in her life.

Key Highlights:

• Time Management: Lisa discusses how she manages her responsibilities, mentioning, “I can get the stuff done during the day... I just have to sit down for at least a few hours every day” (Approximately 28:00).

• Home Minimalism: She touches upon maintaining a minimal home environment to reduce stress, planning a future home tour to showcase her decluttering methods.

Notable Quote:

“Everything, usually from motherhood to cooking, sourdough, pregnancy, birth building right now is something people are asking questions about and I will take the ones I can.” — Lisa Bass (33:00)

Conclusion:

In Episode 301 of the Simple Farmhouse Life podcast, Lisa Bass offers a heartfelt and detailed account of her home-building journey and third trimester pregnancy. Through candid discussions and engaging Q&A segments, she provides valuable insights and relatable experiences for listeners navigating similar life phases. Her emphasis on patience, intentionality, and finding joy amidst complexities underscores the podcast's overarching theme of simplifying life to focus on what truly matters.