Buzz Words

 For many years there have been some buzz words floating about the internet and people's conversations.

* Homestead

* Self sufficiency

* Living off Grid

If you look up the definitions of these you will find :

  A homestead is an isolated dwelling, especially a farmhouse, and adjacent outbuildings,^[1] typically on a large agricultural holding such as a ranch or station.^[2]

Self-sustainability is a type of sustainable living in which nothing is consumed other than what is produced by the self-sufficient individuals

Being off the grid means not being hooked up to any utilities. Off-grid homes rely on alternative renewable energy sources such as the sun and the wind.

These terms on their own can be very overwhelming. But if you step back and look at each one by themselves they are much easier to understand. Keep in mind if there are things that interest you, it doesn't have to be an all or nothing kind of situation.

You have decided that you want to consume more organic or non-GMO foods. For you this could mean that you are only going to buy organic produce at the grocery store. Someone else might choose to only shop at the farmers market. Or your neighbor may commit to growing all of their own produce in a garden. All of these are examples of a self-sustainable lifestyle. 

You see snow, but I see....

As many of us look out our windows we see snow. Sometimes a lot, sometimes a little but generally by this point of the year there is snow somewhere on the ground.

But in my head I am already thinking spring. Shortly after New Year's the seed companies start sending out their catalogs of all those wonderful seeds. Well before you get wrapped up in all the pretty colors we need to sit down and figure out how much space is available to plant these seeds, which will turn into plants.

Photo Credits

This year I am going to do several combinations of  containers and raised beds.  We are currently in the middle of some major transformations I think that this will be the best choice for my family. So I have to carefully stop and figure out the answers to the following questions:

1. How much space is available?
2. What do I want to grow?
3. How will I work succession plantings?
4. What are each plants needs when grown in a container garden?
5. What should I use for my containers?

Well in order to answer question #1, I actually need to start with question #5.  I am actually thinking about several different ideas on how to do this container garden. I am very interested in using reclaimed items to make this garden. You can often find some great items if you are willing to think outside the box. 

 I just need to look into what the needs of my plants are going to be. So stay tuned.

Starting Seeds and Indoor Greenhouse

Here in Vermont at this time of the year we are usually buried in several feet of snow with little hope of the temperatures getting above 15F.

This really puts my mind towards thinking ahead towards spring and being able to play in the dirt.

I have been seriously contemplating how to start my seeds this year. 

          Do I want to just buy them at a local greenhouse? 

                        Or do I try and start them myself? 

 Well I have a slight problem with starting seeds…..3 Cats. 

My lovely fur babies are notorious for eating the young seedlings if they can get to them. So even with the covers on the plastic green houses you buy in the stores, they can somehow get them off and eat my seeds.

So I was thinking what can I do? Then it came to me, I had seen those indoor green houses that are about 2 feet by 2 feet with 3 or 4 shelves on them all zipped up into plastic.  Now the idea behind my garden is to be frugal and self sufficient.  Thinking of having to buy a green house isn’t being really frugal or is it? I found this one at an affordable price and is reusable for many years. That is a win-win for me.

My Favorite Indoor Greenhouse

I can’t tell you how many times I have started seeds only to have them eaten and then have to go out and buy seedlings.  Now that isn’t frugal at all.

So the idea of this green house is sounding better and better. 


Now I have to decide how many of each plant I am going to want.  This depends on the final size of my garden.  I am doing a combination of Raised beds and Containers. The larger items like my tomatoes, squash and things like that will just go into the raised beds. Now I am going to use containers for the smaller items like my lettuces. This year I am also adding in potatoes, and carrots. I am looking to continue to increase my garden to produce more for my family.  What are you doing to help provide for your family and battle rising food costs?

Are housewives really gone?

According to many newspapers reporters, the days of moms just staying home to care for their families have faded into the past.  There are many examples shown of the reason why this has happened, from simply not being able to survive financially on only one income, to more single Parent households.

Although times have changed from the by gone era of "Leave it to Beaver" style families, it doesn't mean that the Stay at home Parent is gone. In some families it is no longer Mom but now Dad that stays home to care for the kids. 

In an article from Yahoo Finance:

You might wonder why the rate of stay-at-home fathers isn’t higher. After all, women now make up almost 47% of the American workforce and tend to be more qualified than their male counterparts. In the 1970's, there were far more men on university campuses than women, at about 58% to 42%. Now, the ratio’s almost exactly reversed—yet women are still far more likely to give up work to care for their children.

What has also changed is the fact that more and more parents are  changing the scope of the work force by becoming self-employed entrepreneurs. This allows them to work around their life schedules, and still be income producers.  

In fact this is what happens in my home. I am an online freelance writer and blogger. I work around the needs of my family and still find myself being a very productive human being. 

Going through the Pandemic has really changed the way that people are looking at their lives. We deal with supply issues, lack of necessary items and job loss. More and more people are working from home whether their jobs moved to remote access or becoming their own bosses. We as a society are changing the way we work, live and care for our families. 

Goals for 2022

A new year has arrived with all the pomp and flair as always. We find ourselves looking at the end of January, trying to figure out how to hold on to the New Year's resolutions for the rest of the year.

So rather than having Resolutions I have chosen to have goals.

Goal # 1 Build a Self Sufficient Pantry

    Now for each person that may mean something different. For me I am looking to 

• have longer term food supplies
• Ingredients to make homemade meals
• having necessary items for food preservation

Goal # 2  Use up all my fabric

    I have a storage tote that fits under the bed full of fabric. Not to mention piles in my closet. So in order to start clearing out space I need to do something with my fabric. Now I know I could just donate it, but where is the fun in that?

Goal # 3 Make a Queen sized quilt for my bed

    Now that is a big project for me as I have never made a quilt that big but I know I can handle it. I want to just make it simple. I know that there are so many patterns out there but I am going to do it on the fly.

Goal # 4 Pay off Debt ( except student loans)

As of today I have $9,013.00 of debt on my credit report. 

Simple

 

A new year is upon us yet again. It feels like we are all standing on the edge of a cliff. This pandemic is still going on. After being told time and time again that it will only be a few more weeks. I am honestly over believing that things will ever go back to “normal”. We need to accept that this has become our new normal and work to define what that means for each of us.

simple

[ˈsimpəl]

ADJECTIVE

1.      easily understood or done; presenting no difficulty.

"a simple solution" · 

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synonyms:

straightforward · easy · uncomplicated · uninvolved · effortless · 

[more]

2.      plain, basic, or uncomplicated in form, nature, or design; without much decoration or ornamentation.

"a simple white blouse" · 

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synonyms:

plain · unadorned · undecorated · unembellished · unornamented · 

[more]

 

My word for 2022 is Simple. This is what I want my word to start becoming. Things are so complicated and fast that I often feel like a car stuck in the mud with my wheels spinning. I want to start fresh and create the world according to how I need it to be. 

The best part of this Simple definition is:  uncomplicated in form. I need to uncomplicate my life in a variety of ways and things. I look forward to having you join me on this adventure.