I have taken a long break from the blog, and for good reason. This past spring, after realizing that our small farm homesteading dreams were not working out the way we wanted them to, we made the decision to make a very important move. When we moved to the east coast 9 years ago, it did not take long before we realized that it was not right for us. We have spent much of the last 9 years debating whether to move back or not. We finally made the decision this past spring to do so, and ... [ Read More ]
Plant Something for Your Chickens When Planting Your Garden
A question I have pondered a lot is whether or not I can grow my own chicken food. I have heard both those that said I could, and those that said it was not a good idea. I find it hard to believe that feeding your chickens off the land is either not possible or not advisable. But more importantly than that I have come to believe that growing your own chicken food is not only safe but is much better for your chickens. I can draw on a lot of experiences for this thought, ... [ Read More ]
Grow Veg Garden Planner Review
I know there are several reviews out there for this software, but since I used and loved this tool last year, I thought I would through my review out there as well. Whether you have used this software or not, please make sure to view the video I embedded for you, of the new features this year. These features make a great program even better, I am excited to get going using it just based on a few of these new tools. I have to say, I am not typically a fan of these ... [ Read More ]
Garden Planning Series – Deciphering the Different types of Seeds
During the week I got to wondering why it is that so many things in life have become so complicated. I guess it started when I was trying to find something for dinner (being the very end of the pay period before I go shopping) and ended up making very simple meals. Those meals turned out to be some of the most satisfying meals we have had in a long time. That got me to thinking about how nice simple is sometimes. But choosing what to buy in the stores or online ... [ Read More ]
GMO or Not to GMO What You Need to Know AND a Free Gift!
I will get back to my garden planning series in the next couple of days, a forum member was gracious enough to supply a very special gift for all of you, and it inspired to me to create a post to go along with it. The term GMO has certainly had its share of press over recent years, enough so that many of us know that it is something we need to be concerned about. This fact in and of itself has created a battle between consumers and the companies that use GMO products. ... [ Read More ]
Garden Planning Series – Getting Organized
This article is part 2 in a series about getting ready for gardening season, you can find part 1 here - Making Sure you have the Right Tools and Resources I am not a very organized person, never have been, but I have found over the years that a bit of organization can easily make the task of planning the garden easier but it can also make it more cost effective and efficient. Planning a garden demands a certain amount of organization and planning. I don’t care if ... [ Read More ]
Garden Planning Series – Making Sure you have the Right Tools and Resources
Spring is not here yet but for those of us that love to get their hands dirty growing food, the time is soon approaching to start planning for this year’s garden. While late winter is not one of my favorite times of year, it is a good time for one of my favorite tasks, planning out this year’s garden. It was only natural for me to write a full series on garden planning, I have been doing this task for 25 years and it never gets old. When the snow is flying and the temperatures ... [ Read More ]
Looking Forward to 2013 – Homesteading Goals and Plans
I have to admit, 2012 was not the glorious year that I wanted it to be, too many things happening getting in the way of our plans and goals, and just generally one of those years where all one could really do is hang on for the roller coaster ride. 2013 is going to be different, or at least that is what I keep telling myself, and the firm belief in my head is that if I keep thinking it will be so, it will be. I have a lot of plans, not all of them are focused on my homesteading ... [ Read More ]
Tons of Stocking Stuffer Ideas Under 5$ for Your Kids You Might Not Think of
Are you stuck on what to put in your child’s Christmas stocking? There is always candy, but many of us really want to limit the amount of candy our kids indulge in so that still leaves finding a few other inexpensive items to pad out their Christmas stocking this year. I have discovered one quick easy way to find dozens of ideas for stocking stuffers online at Amazon I will share with you at the end of the blog post. I have also added a number of ideas based on my experience as a ... [ Read More ]
50 Ways to Have a More Old Fashioned Family Christmas
Most of us would agree that Christmas has become the opposite of what it is supposed to be, a time of joy, celebration and family turned into a stressful few weeks that at least some of use wish would never come at all. Most of us just wish we could go back to celebrating Christmas the way it used to be celebrated, and that we could bring back the time when Christmas was all about simple celebrations, family and honoring the real reasons for the ... [ Read More ]