• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • New Here?
  • About me
    • Disclosures
  • Plum Prairie
  • Contact me

Plum Prairie Ranch

Creating a home on (and off) the range

Creating a home on (and off) the range

  • DIY IRL
    • Organizationally challenged
  • Food and family
    • Gluten-free ‘n good
    • Thriving while the nest empties
    • Travel tips to maximize fun
  • Fit and full of life
    • Body work
    • Mind matters
  • Spiritual growth
  • Horse and Ranch
The greatest commandment: Love God and love others

Fulfilling God’s greatest commandment: loving God and loving others

first ride on Penny after getting bucked off and breaking two vertebrae.

Back in the saddle: Choosing faith over fear

How baby chicks remind me of faith

Faith & fowl beginnings: Learning to trust God

You are here: Home / Home

DIY Concrete Countertops: Tips, Tricks and What NOT to Do

December 23, 2024

This post may contain affiliate links. You can read my affiliate policy here

DIY Concrete Countertops: Tips, Tricks & What NOT to do

Let’s talk about concrete projects. No, not just projects that exist in the real world – which is true here – but actual concrete. You know, cement, sand and water. If you want to learn more about concrete countertops, this is the post for you. As we prepared to get our Texas house ready to…

Read More

Filed Under: DIY IRL

Finding strength in a hard season

October 30, 2024

This post may contain affiliate links. You can read my affiliate policy here

“We have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him; bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God, being…

Read More

Filed Under: Fit and full of life, Spiritual growth

Adventures in horse ownership for a 50-something beginner

January 31, 2024

This post may contain affiliate links. You can read my affiliate policy here

Penny calmly tolerated her bath.

This story begins with a bit of romance. My hubby surprised me with a 30-year-old horse trailer. He bought it on a rainy night at a ranch east of Dallas, known for offering massive, gorgeous Friesian horses as photography props for quinceaneras, which are Latin American celebrations of a girl’s 15th birthday, marking the transition…

Read More

Filed Under: Body work, Horse and Ranch, Mind matters, Plum Prairie

How a chronic vacation ‘over doer’ is learning to give up control, practice contentment and embrace the calm

October 25, 2023

This post may contain affiliate links. You can read my affiliate policy here

Shoshone National Forest Little Jerusalem

Hello, my name is Sandra and I’m a vacation over doer. I’ve been the primary vacation planner in my family my entire adult life. While other family members often gave input on where we went and what we did, I was the one who did the careful research to plan out the details of the…

Read More

Filed Under: Mind matters, Travel tips to maximize fun, Uncategorized

The necessary testing of faith: how suffering leads to hope and comfort

July 20, 2023

This post may contain affiliate links. You can read my affiliate policy here

the necessary testing of faith: how suffering leads to hope and comfort

What is faith? “Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance for what we do not see.” – Hebrews 11:1 I am currently walking through a challenging season with no end in sight. I keep praying that God will turn a heart-breaking situation around, and He may choose to answer this prayer with…

Read More

Filed Under: Spiritual growth

Best budget hacks for removing wallpaper

May 16, 2023

This post may contain affiliate links. You can read my affiliate policy here

Best budget hacks for removing wallpaper

Wallpaper removal is one of my least favorite DIY jobs, so I really want to get it done ASAP. One of my first blog posts was about my wallpaper removal process in our master bathroom and three methods I tried. It’s one of the most popular posts on my site. I decided to write another…

Read More

Filed Under: DIY IRL

The 25 Best Christmas Movies and Shows to Brighten Your Holiday Season

December 15, 2022

This post may contain affiliate links. You can read my affiliate policy here

The 25 best Christmas movies

I love Christmas. Baby Jesus, lights on trees and homes brightening dreary dark days, my hubby’s peanut brittle, carols and crooners, and the special movies and TV shows. Because I’m such a big fan of Christmas movies and shows, I wanted to share my top 25. You’ll find a lot of old movies here because…

Read More

Filed Under: Family, Fit and full of life, Mind matters

The end of the trail for horse shopping… finally

November 8, 2022

This post may contain affiliate links. You can read my affiliate policy here

I test rode 10 horses before making my decision. Which horse did I pick?

For my next shopping day, I finally had an experienced horse person with me, one of the young teacher/trainers from the barn where I take lessons. At 16, she already knows a lot about horses and seems to have a natural knack for working with them. If you missed the first two installments of my…

Read More

Filed Under: Body work, Fit and full of life, Horse and Ranch

The quest to find a well broke horse

October 31, 2022

This post may contain affiliate links. You can read my affiliate policy here

Riding a Rocky Mountain gelding

For those of you who missed my last post, I’m shopping for my first horse, and I’m taking you along for the ride. I went out again on my own without a teacher/trainer to try horses at two locations in one day. My first stop was a ranch where they sell a lot of horses,…

Read More

Filed Under: Body work, Fit and full of life, Horse and Ranch, Plum Prairie

Horse Shopping Day 1

September 30, 2022

This post may contain affiliate links. You can read my affiliate policy here

Lady is a beautiful sorrel and super responsive to a relaxed rider, not to me.

Notes from my first horse shopping experience More than a year ago, at the urging of my loving, supportive hubby, I started taking riding lessons in Western horsemanship at a local barn recommended by a church friend. The goal: deciding if my life-long dream of owning a horse was still something I could realistically pursue….

Read More

Filed Under: Body work, Fit and full of life, Horse and Ranch, Plum Prairie

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Page 3
  • Page 4
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 13
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Sandra Engelland

Hi, y'all! I'm a "plains girl" as opposed to a plain girl (which I probably am, too), meaning I was born and raised in the southern plains. I want to invite you on a journey to transform our homes, enrich our lives and deepen our impact on those around us. Go to the About Me page and About Plum Prairie to learn more. Read More...

SUBSCRIBE TO THE PPR NEWSLETTER AND GET COOL TIPS

Join me on the journey!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

COPYRIGHT

Sharing is caring! I'm happy when a reader wants to share my content. Just remember that all written copy and images (unless otherwise noted) are the property of Plum Prairie Ranch. You may use an image or two, provided that a link back to my post is included. Pinning is always welcome and appreciated!

Posts by Sandra

Copyright© 2026 · Brunch Pro Theme by Shay Bocks