Self-Sufficiency - what IS it and WHY would people want it? In a nutshell, it's that peaceful feeling of knowing you are responsible for yourself and your family. And you are prepared, as in, you have some food stored and are able to take care of your family in an emergency. Here's what Wikipedia has to say about it: Self-sufficiency is the state of not requiring any aid, support, or … [Read more...]
A More Frugal Homestead (Giveaway)
When you are homesteading, no matter the size, being aware of how to save money is one of the key principles for success. Living frugally seems to come naturally to some people, but take heart - you can learn! Here are some new resources for being a frugal homesteader, and raising your own meat rabbits - an excellent budget-friendly source of food. A more frugal lifestyle Growing your own … [Read more...]
How to Beat The Summer Heat
Summer! It's a fantastic time of year. The gardens are booming, the garlic scapes are growing and the cows are munching on the growing grass. But....sometimes it is just too hot! We love summer, but we also need to find ways to beat the summer heat. The very best place for us to be on a really hot summer afternoon is at the lake. At least you can wade in the water or go for a swim when you get … [Read more...]
The Five “W’s” – Spring Chores
My days are really full right now with lots of outside stuff going on. I have a bit of the garden planted - the peas are all planted, as well as some carrots, lettuce and spinach. I am early this year getting things in the ground but these cool weather veggies should be fine. We're looking forward to a good harvest in a month or two. Things grow quick in the Cariboo. Spring is one of the … [Read more...]
Self Sufficiency
I'm checking out the pins over on our Self Sufficiency board on Pinterest. I can't get over there every single day (at least right now) to remove pins that are inappropriate or just don't fit with the description of the board. Oh, and I should mention about the photo that accompanies this post. I made it, so that I can post it over there and people who may not read this … [Read more...]
Low Impact Lawn Mowing?
In all the years I have been cutting lawns, I have always used either a gas or an electric mower. I found electric mowers are a pain because I had to keep fiddling around with the cord, making sure it wasn't in the path of the mower. Have you ever ran over the electrical cord when the mower is running? I have and the cut off piece of cord went flying, screaming past my head. A person could get … [Read more...]
Is a Guesthouse our Next Project?
There are always projects going on at our homestead. If we’re not building a barn, we are building a greenhouse. Finished with those? Better start working on building a big shop for Graham to work on vehicles and house all his tools. At this point, we are getting close to finishing off the shop. Still left to complete are the eaves and putting the siding on the front of the shop. Since we live … [Read more...]
…but I Want a Garage!
You all know how much we love country living. It's as peaceful and quiet as we want it to be. Sure, in the summers, quiet is not the first word that comes to mind. At that time, we're usually spending a lot of hours in the gardens. We're also usually listening to the small meat bird roosters learning to crow (now that is funny!). However, as the evenings comes and things wind down in the … [Read more...]
The Dirty Dozen
I saw this on Facebook the other day and it's a handy chart to share. If you're wondering about which vegetables have the most pesticides, take a look at this. Why not print it off and tuck it in your wallet? Then when you're in the grocery store, you'll have a good idea what the dirtiest vegetables are. In other news, we are so busy around here, we are running out of time. We've been working … [Read more...]