Personal stories and reflections from my home and heart.
So you’re finally on a homestead. You’re excited and overwhelmed and have no idea where to start. Setting homesteading goals is important, have you taken the time to set goals for your homestead? If you’re not setting goals, you’re likely wasting a lot of time and money. The first step to owning a homestead is … Read more
Not everyone who wants to homestead can start out on a homestead. Some may start out in a friend or family members driveway living in an RV, others may start out in an apartment or small house. Regardless of where you start out, you can still find ways to homestead in the burbs while you’re … Read more
When I first set out on my homesteading adventures my friends and even a few in my family gave me more than a few sideways glances. Some of them, I’m sure, thought I really needed some mental help while others secretly thought “Good for you!”. Personally, I embraced homesteading with all my heart. I’m just … Read more
Drying flowers to preserve them in a dehydrator allows you to process a large batch all at once – even more flowers than can be crammed into a conventional oven. But, even though dehydrating flowers is a lot quicker than hang drying flowers, the process will still take many hours longer than preserving them in … Read more
Epsom salts are inexpensive, easy to find, and have copious amounts of uses in the garden, house, and around the homestead. The handy little carton or bag of magnesium sulfate should also be a part of any natural first aid kit. We do not use any chemical is our homestead growing plots or apothecary patch. … Read more
Red clover is foraged for both its medicinal and nutrient-ish edible properties. This all natural detox tea is filled with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that can also help boost the immune system and reduce inflammation. Taking just a single cup of red clover tea may help prevent harmful organisms that cause infection from making you … Read more
To cut the tree down with an axe, you need to be sure that it’s sharp. A dull axe will take forever to chop it down, and it can be dangerous to use. Plus, it can bounce back off the tree instead of lodge into it making a cut. There are different items that you … Read more
Many people want to own their own homestead or piece of property, but they have no idea how they’re ever going to accomplish it. With land being so expensive and down payments often exceeding what they have on hand, many are wasting away wishing for something considered to be a pipe dream. It can take … Read more
Hang drying flowers by is the traditional way of preserving them to use as food, medicine, or decoration. While this method of drying flowers takes a lot longer than using an oven or microwave, it works just as effectively. If you are an off the grid homesteader, or simply want to dry a large batch … Read more
There probably is no simpler natural air freshener to make than this one, fellow homesteaders. This lovely old-fashioned air freshener can be hung in a closet to deter pests, allowed to dangle as part of a seasonal decoration, or just placed on a counter or table to both look and smell pretty. See the how-to … Read more
As homesteaders, we are always preparing for the next season. Being sure you have enough wood to get you through the winter is a never-ending chore. There are a couple different ways to fell a tree, being a chainsaw or an axe. Whichever method you use to cut down a tree, it can still be … Read more
The Backyard Homestead by Carleen Madigan quickly made its way onto every homesteader and wanna-be homesteaders bookshelf. Full of inspiration and resources, Madigan does a fantastic job of painting a picture of what your property could be, despite its lack of space. Whether you have one-tenth of an acre or a full acre, Madigan shows … Read more
Eggs are one of the healthiest and most nutritionally complete foods you can eat. They are very versatile and are used in everything from baking to salads to breakfast. As a prepper resource, eggs are one of the great foodstuffs due to their protein and fat content, so they make excellent survival food. Some people … Read more
Getting firewood is a vital part of homesteading if you heat with wood. If you are heating with a wood burner or fireplace then you will need to cut your wood up smaller than if you were heating with an outdoor wood burner. Either way it goes, you will need to obtain your wood by … Read more
Native to Europe and Asia, parsnips have been a dinnertime staple in North America since the early 1700s. These tasty root vegetables were used in ancient medicine to relieve toothaches and even achy feet! While parsnips may not be effective for those particular old household remedies, they offer a range of other health benefits and … Read more
It’s that time of year again, fellow homesteaders… tree tapping time! No maple trees on your homestead? No problem, there are more than one dozen other trees common to the United States that can also be tapped for syrup and sugar. Typically, trees are prime for tapping between the middle of February through mid-March. The … Read more