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Things Nobody Tells You About Growing Your Own Food
Growing your own food is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. I absolutely love walking out into my garden and gathering a meal with my own two hands. A basket of tomatoes still warm from the afternoon sun, fresh herbs clipped just before supper, or apples picked from trees you planted years…
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20 Homestead Skills Every Family Should Learn
When most people hear the word homesteading, they picture acres of land, a large garden, and a barn full of animals. While those things certainly can be part of a homestead, I’ve come to believe that homesteading is really about something much simpler. It’s about learning skills. You don’t need a farm to learn them. Many…
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15 Homestead Purchases You’ll Never Regret
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. When you’re first starting a homestead, it’s easy to think you need everything. Social media makes it seem like every tool is a “must-have,” but after years of trial and error, I’ve learned that’s simply not true. There are plenty of purchases I’ve made that I…
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12 Signs a Property Will Make a Great Homestead
When we first started looking for a homestead, I thought I knew exactly what I wanted. I looked at acreage, old barns, pretty views, and charming farmhouses. Those things are wonderful—but after spending years homesteading, I’ve realized they’re not what makes a property successful. The best homesteads aren’t always the prettiest ones. They’re the ones…
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Your First Year Homesteading: What to Expect
If you’re dreaming about your first homestead, you’re probably picturing lush gardens, happy chickens, overflowing baskets of vegetables, and peaceful evenings on the porch. And while those moments absolutely happen… Your first year is also going to be full of surprises. Some exciting. Some frustrating. Some downright exhausting. The truth is, your first year isn’t…
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Should You Start a Homestead? Ask Yourself These 20 Questions
Homesteading is more popular than ever—and I completely understand why. The idea of raising your own food, slowing down, spending more time outdoors, and building a simpler life is incredibly appealing. But after years of homesteading, I’ve realized something. Wanting a homestead and enjoying the lifestyle aren’t always the same thing. Homesteading is rewarding, but…
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How to Prepare for Homesteading While Living in the City
One of the most common questions about starting a homestead is, “How can I prepare for homesteading if I still live in the city?” It’s a wonderful question because so many people dream of one day owning acreage, growing a garden, raising animals, and living a slower, more self-sufficient life. But that dream can sometimes feel…
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How to Buy a Homestead: 25 Things to Look for Before You Make an Offer
There are a lot of things on this list you would probably never think about. Buying a homestead is one of the biggest purchases most people will ever make. It’s one thing to look at a property with the goal of buying a house. It’s a completely different thing to look at a property with…
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What We Actually Grow, Raise, and Make on Our Homestead
If you’ve spent much time online, you’ve probably noticed that every homestead looks a little different. Some families focus on raising livestock. Others grow enormous gardens. Some produce nearly all of their own food, while others simply enjoy keeping a few chickens in the backyard. That’s one of the things I love most about homesteading….
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The Small Changes That Made Our Homestead More Productive
When people think about making a homestead more productive, it’s easy to imagine major projects. Building a bigger barn. Buying expensive equipment. Expanding the garden. Adding more animals. While those things certainly have their place, I’ve found that the biggest improvements on our homestead haven’t come from dramatic changes. They’ve come from dozens of small…
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A Real Day in the Life of Our Homestead
When people picture life on a homestead, they often imagine peaceful mornings, baskets overflowing with fresh vegetables, warm bread cooling on the counter, and happy animals grazing in green pastures. Those moments absolutely exist, and yes, the mornings around here ARE special. But they aren’t the whole story. Most days on our homestead aren’t what…
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Homesteading on a Budget: Where We Save the Most Money
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. When people picture a homestead, they often imagine expensive equipment, sprawling gardens, and barns full of animals. And while homesteading certainly can be expensive, it really doesn’t have to be. In fact, one of the biggest surprises for our family has been discovering just how many ways…
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What I Wish I Knew Before Starting My First Garden
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. When we planted our first garden, I imagined baskets overflowing with vegetables, fresh flowers on the table, and our future children happily picking tomatoes straight from the vine. But my first couple years of gardening…I grew more learning experiences than actual food. Like most new…
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Goat Mistakes We Made So You Don’t Have To
When we first brought goats to our little homestead, we thought we had done our homework. We had read books. We had watched videos. We had talked to other goat owners. (and listened to both their joys and horror stories) Surely we were prepared. As it turns out, goats have a wonderful way of teaching…
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What I Wish I Knew Before Getting Sheep
When we first decided to get sheep, I imagined peaceful mornings watching them graze in the pasture, homegrown wool ready to be spun into yarn, and adorable lambs bouncing through the spring grass. To be fair, all of those things have happened. But there were also plenty of surprises that no one really prepared me…
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15 Things Nobody Tells You About Starting A Homestead
Here’s what I wish someone had told me. There are some beautiful visions of what homesteading looks like. Fresh eggs and milk, a beautiful garden bustling with fruits and veggies, children climbing in an orchard of apple trees… And while those things absolutely happen, there are also plenty of realities that don’t make it into…
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How To Restore An Old Treadle Sewing Machine
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Today, I’m going to get this beautiful antique treadle sewing machine in working order. In this post, you will see: I also filmed this entire restoration process and have a Youtube video on it! Stuff I used: Standard Sewing Machine The Standard sewing machine company was started in…
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Pine Tar Soap Recipe
Here’s my recipe for a large batch of Pine Tar Soap! This recipe makes over 21 pounds of soap (70 1″ bars!) and takes less than an hour to make! I had never even heard of pine tar soap until my husband’s friend asked if I could make him some. Since then, I have loved…
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How to make Soap Step By Step Cold Process
Learn to make homemade soap with step-by-step instructions. This is how I make my own soap in extra large batches for my big family, in an hour! 1 year supply in 1 hour for $26! Watch me make this soap in my YouTube video! I love to make handmade soap for my family to use,…
