From fixing things around the house to taking care of animals, helping in the kitchen, and generally being a master-of-all, you know that he does a ton of things around the homestead. But, what do you get an old-fashioned man who isn't as interested in the latest gadgets or doesn't need yet another tie? Well, never fear! I've gathered up a list of 10 things that your homesteading old-fashioned husband or father will absolutely love and use all the time! ... [ Read More ]
Top 10 Gifts for a Homesteading Woman
You know she does a lot around the house whether it's working outside, taking care of the family, feeding the animals, crafting things from scratch, or any other odds and ends. But what do you get someone who isn't interested in the traditional sorts of things? Not to say every homesteader isn't interested in jewelry or fashion, but there are definitely some better choices. So, here are my top ten things that the homesteading wife will not only love, but use constantly! ... [ Read More ]
8 Ways to Reuse Your Coffee Grounds
I am a huge coffee addict, but it's good for a lot more than my morning jolt! The average American actually drinks 2 cups of coffee a day, which can add up pretty quick... that's a lot of old coffee grounds, right? Here at Old Fashioned Families we prefer not to waste things, which makes me love coffee even more! Rather than throwing away your old coffee grounds, you can use them in your garden, your home, and even your hair! Here are 8 different ways that you can re-use old coffee ... [ Read More ]
10 Natural Uses for Witch Hazel
Witch hazel is a small bush native to Asia and North America. Although the strange yellow stringy flowers don't look like much, this plant was used medicinally by Native Americans and later by European settlers. It also enjoyed use in parts of Asia. The witch hazel used medicinally shouldn't be confused with the English wych elm, which is also sometimes called witch hazel. Regardless, witch hazel is one of those things that should be in every old fashioned medicine cabinet due to its varied ... [ Read More ]
8 Natural Ways to Keep Your Home Smelling Great
Unfortunately, a lot of store bought candles and air fresheners are made with artificial scents that contain damaging chemicals, which can aggravate your skin and lungs. Not to mention they are expensive! Not to worry, though, there are plenty of all natural ways to keep your house smelling amazing all of the time! Here are 8 of my favorites: 1) Homemade Air Freshener Making your own homemade air freshener is super simple and only requires a few ingredients that you probably already have! ... [ Read More ]
Use Elderberries to Combat the Flu
Cold and flu season is officially here and, judging by the coughing fits and empty chairs of my coworkers who had to stay home, this year is going to be a bad one. So, of course, I've been turning quite a bit to my favorite natural flu fighting tea: Elderberry. Elderberries come from the elder plant, which grows naturally in Europe and a few other parts of the globe. Historically, elderberries have been used to fight inflammation, diseases, relieve skin conditions, help heal burns, and boost ... [ Read More ]
11 Tips for Getting out of Debt
Debt is something that a lot of Americans struggle with, so there is definitely no reason to be ashamed. In fact, as of 2015, eight out of every ten Americans were in some sort of debt— and at least 38% of us have credit card debt. Getting out of debt is a lot easier said than done, and people often struggle for years with payments and interest rates! This is something you'll want to take care of before starting a homestead, as its a very frugal lifestyle that doesn't leave you with a lot of ... [ Read More ]
10 Best Foods for Power Outages and Emergencies
Whether you consider yourself a prepper or not, power outages happen in the winter, and preparing for an emergency situation is never a bad idea. I remember we had a huge snowstorm here in the Midwest in 2007 or so, and some places lost power for almost two weeks during that time. We lived in the country and so, while we lost power for just under a week, we were perfectly fine. Our stove was gas, and we could melt snow for water so things were just fine, if not a little boring. So, with ... [ Read More ]
How to Make Your Own Bath Salts
Who doesn't love a nice spa experience? Getting one at home is probably easier than you expected— at least with a relaxing, aroma-therapeutic, candlelit bath. Bath salts are a great way to take your bath to the next level and can help you unwind, exfoliate your skin, and relieve sore muscles. Bath salts are easily purchased, but a lot of the store bought products are highly processed rather than all natural. The all natural salts are full of nutrients like magnesium, calcium, and potassium ... [ Read More ]
10 Natural Benefits of Using Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is often called a "super food" and is considered one of the healthiest foods on the planet with over 1,500 studies to back it up. Coconut oil is made up of healthy fats called medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) which include caprylic acid, lauric acid, and capric acid. More than 60% of of coconut oil is composed of those three healthy fatty acids, and more than 90% of coconut oil is healthy saturated fat. The issue with consuming a lot of fatty foods is most fats go through a 26 ... [ Read More ]