Part of living a simple life, to me, is decluttering. While I'm not into the magazine-spotless almost Spartan look, I hate having stuff everywhere. In my house, everything has a place and while it might wander, when I'm ready to clean, everything has a spot. If it doesn't have a permanent home, then I either find one, or get rid of it. There is one exception to this rule, though: papers. For some reason, papers (especially mail) tends to build up at my house and no matter how many folders I ... [ Read More ]
How to Read a Seed Packet
If you are starting up a garden, one of the cheapest ways to get things up and running is to buy seed packets. Although it might take a little longer, it's worth it in the long run. The nice thing about getting seed packets from your local store is that they come with all the information you could possibly need about your new plant on that scrap of paper. But there's a downside. It's a LOT of information to process and if you're new to gardening it can be incredibly intimidating. But don't ... [ Read More ]
10 Most Common Questions about Chickens
Raising chickens can be a fantastic option for your homestead. They are easy to care for, don't require a lot of space, and can act as a great introduction to livestock. However, unlike dogs, cats, or even cows, chickens are not something that most people really know anything about. And, if you're new to raising chickens, it can be hard to find places to find information on where to begin. So, today I'm going to go over 10 of the questions that I get asked the most about chickens below. If ... [ Read More ]
Seedlings to Start in January by Zone
Well, the new year has come and gone which means that here in the Midwest the winter has finally set in. As I write this, the roads still have a tiny bit of ice on them from the last snow, and I'm wearing a sweatshirt to stay warm at the computer. However, while there are still a few weeks to a month of cold on the horizon, that doesn't mean that there aren't a things you can do in January to jump start your garden! Depending on where you live, you may be able to either start seeds indoors ... [ Read More ]
How to Fix a Broody Hen
I'm sure that everyone has heard of the stereotype that, at a certain age, a woman will start to want children. While I can't say that it's necessarily true that all humans will eventually go through a phase where they just desperately want children, it's actually very common in some breeds of chicken. It's called brooding and if your goal is to get eggs out of your girls, then it can be quite a big problem. Brooding is when a hen will decide, for whatever reason, that they really want to ... [ Read More ]
10 Reasons You Should Keep Backyard Chickens
Chickens are a fantastic addition to the homestead. It's completely bewildering to me why more people don't have these quirky little birds hopping around their yards. Whether you're more interested in eggs or keeping chickens for meat purposes or for laying, there are plenty of benefits to having chickens clucking around your yard. Here are ten reasons why you need chickens: 1. You'll always have fresh eggs Eggs are delicious and nutritious, and there's nothing better than a fresh egg that ... [ Read More ]
5 Winter Homesteading Tasks To Make Time Fly
Winter on the homestead can be one of the most frustrating and boring times of the year, especially if you live somewhere where the weather is just too icy, cold, and bitter to really spend much time outside. It can be hard being cooped up inside for a few months out of the year, but don't let it get you down! There are plenty of things that you can do while the weather is dismal. Here are some things I've been working on this winter: Deep clean each room Okay, so I know that traditionally ... [ Read More ]
13 Foods That You Can Grow From Scraps
Growing your own food is one of the best ways to ensure that you are feeding your family the best quality foods possible. While most of us probably don't mind the time it takes to start and keep a garden going, it can be incredibly expensive to buy all the seeds to get started. Luckily, there are a handful of vegetables that you can actually sprout from existing produce. As a note, there are many plants, including pumpkins, apples, and tomatoes, which can be grown from seeds of the plant that ... [ Read More ]
5 Common Onions and How to Use Them
When used properly, onions can add a depth and richness to many savory dishes. However, when used wrong (or too much) they can be overpowering and just downright gross. So, the first step to cooking with onions properly is understanding what the main types of onions are, and how to use them. In this article, we're going to go over the six basic kinds of onions: red, white, yellow, green, and vidalia. Shallots, leeks, and young onions are also commonly used in recipes, but they are usually a ... [ Read More ]
7 Ways to Recycle or Reuse a Live Christmas Tree
Well, another Christmas has come and gone. The presents have all been opened, the ham cooked, and the extended relatives have come and gone. Have you taken down your decorations yet? I know mine are coming down today when I get a moment, but as always, that leaves the same questions hundreds of people are asking: what do you do with a live Christmas tree after Christmas? How do you recycle a live Christmas tree? Don't worry—you're not the only one scratching their head, but there are way more ... [ Read More ]