Personal stories and reflections from my home and heart.
Do you have a clover problem? Clover is a nuisance weed when it appears in your lawn, and one that can be surprisingly difficult to get rid of. It spreads quickly and can be hard to eradicate completely without tearing up your grass with it. In this article, we will discuss several ways to get … Read more
Anyone who relies on wood for heating knows what a chore it can be processing a large supply. No matter what method you use, you’ll have your work cut out for you. Some folks assert that the job can be way harder, and more dangerous, if you try to split or chop wood while it … Read more
No matter how tidy a housekeeper you are, chances are that one day you opened the door or doors to your pantry only to be greeted with a decidedly unpleasant odor. Maybe sickly, maybe tangy, or maybe just foul. It’s unusual, and definitely unwanted. All you care about now is getting rid of it. But … Read more
Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink. Unless you know where to dig! Much of the drinkable water in rural areas is pumped out of the ground. In our modern society, we use electricity to draw it up to the surface without a second thought. But what do we do when the power … Read more
Starting a homestead is a great goal – but if you’re just starting out, it’s really not possible to do so from scratch. While you can get by with just the basics, there are some homesteading tools to always have on hand. Before embarking on this exciting new adventure for yourself, sit down and make … Read more
Cooking oil is a pantry staple that has far more uses than just frying up some delicious fried chicken. Both the versatility and long-shelf life of cooking oil make it a fantastic multi-use item for preppers and frugal homesteading folks alike. Pouring cooking oil down the drain can cause clogging either quickly or over time. … Read more
Here are 11 tips to being more prepared for whatever lies ahead in our economy.
Although the homestead lifestyle as a whole tends to embrace a more self-reliant, simpler existence, it does not automatically require you to remove all the fantastic technology that can make your life easier. Nor should it. Using modern appliances is a good idea. I am sure that very few people want to return to a … Read more
“Mommy, you tell me when you see a bad stranger, okay?” I laughed a little when I was 2 yr. old Jada said this to me one day while we were at the grocery store. I had just started warning my precious little girl about “mean” people in this world. If only we could simply … Read more
The other day, I was looking at some old pictures of my grandfather. He was one of the early pioneers who started a homestead on the Canadian prairies. Wow, it was a hard life for those early pioneers! Things were certainly different in those days. It is difficult to see how they managed to survive. … Read more
Cedarwood essential oil has long been appreciated for its aromatic, woodsy smell, but what you may not know is that it has antiseptic and preservative properties. If you’re a homesteader, or are just looking for a great, easy-to-find oil to help you address multiple challenges in and around your home, this is a great oil … Read more
Deciding I wanted a lifestyle change late in life, I caught the off-grid living bug. Did I want to be self-sufficient? Well, I do not think I asked myself that question at the time. But I asked myself other, more practical ones, such as how much land do you need to be self-sufficient? For each … Read more
Well, it’s winter here in South Africa now and the temperatures are dropping to between 6 and 10 degrees Celsius on some days. You know what that means? It means warm clothes, tons of hot chocolate, and heaters are on – a lot! Now, last year we used halogen heaters; they’re relatively cheap and they … Read more
When I first got started homesteading, I had no idea how challenging it would be – or how rapidly our backyard garden and “just a few chickens” would grow into something that became a lifestyle and later, for us, a full-fledged business. Today, on my farm, we have several large gardens, a 30” x 96” … Read more
Homeschooling is one of the most rewarding experiences parents can have with their children. It is not an exact science, there is no one size fits all cloak that every homeschooling can slip on and do everything perfectly right from the start. No matter how well you have prepared to homeschool your child, placing too … Read more
This might just be me complaining, but I feel as though, in my house, I’m always the one that gets stuck unclogging the toilet. I know my husband unclogs his fair share, too, but it’s such a chore that whenever I have to deal with it, I find myself groaning in aggravation. Added to this … Read more