How We Homestead Series - Part 2: Living Simply

This is part 2 of a 5-part series on how 5 different bloggers homestead.  Please join us each Wednesday for a new post in the series.  To read part 1 {How It All Began}, click {here}.

The word "simple" is interpreted in a number of ways.  The same can be said about the term "living simply".  As an example, our life at this point looks pretty simple.  We have a cute little farmhouse, a small menagerie of animals, a large garden, and a tidy but somewhat weed-ridden yard.  We, for the most part, make much of our own food from scratch, enjoy working on projects around the house, and value our time spent together.  And they lived happily ever after.....the end.  Right?  No, nothing is ever that simple.

What may not be visible is the behind-the-scenes work for all aspects of our life.  The garden takes composting (regular, vermicomposting, and leaf mold), cover crops, crop rotations, winter and spring prep, seed saving/ordering, weeding, and daily watering and bug checks.  The animals need food and water twice a day, even in snow storms, a clean place to live, attention and care.  The house is 154 years old as are the outbuildings and need their own upkeep.  Making food from scratch takes planning and sometimes getting up earlier or staying up later to prepare.  Any type of life requires sacrifices and we find those we make to live our lifestyle to be completely worth it.

So we do, in our opinion, by intention have a pretty "simple" life.  We do not, however have a quiet or sedate life.  As noted above, our life is busy but in a different way.  What does a simple life mean?  It means that we have cut out a lot of the excess from our lives and went back to the basics.  Excess in terms of "stuff" not needed, junk mail, excess food items that don't need to be purchased or don't get used {I now use my meal plan shopping list to shop from}, etc.  Don't get me wrong, we still have plenty of "stuff" but it, for the most part, has meaning now.

One of my favorite definitions of living simply comes from Linda Breen Pierce in her book "Choosing Simplicity".  She states "living simply is not about rejecting the material comforts in life.  However, it does involve unburdening our lives, living more lightly with fewer distractions - whether they are material things, activities, or relationships.  It means letting go of anything that interferes with a high quality of life".

A change in lifestyle often means a change in friends as a result of "letting go of anything that interferes with a high quality of life" as well as having different goals and purpose.  This proved to be true for us.  Many friends continue to be in our lives but there were a few who we have lost complete contact with.  We've also gained many new friends, some of which have the same interests or lifestyles, as our lives are evolving.

Examples of things we've done to simplify our lives include:

• We have no credit cards.  We live within our means - if we don't have the cash to pay for it then we don't need it.
• We do, however, have debt - a mortgage and two car payments {the last car payment is next month....yippee!}.  We put half down on each vehicle and took out a 3-year 0% finance loan for the remaining balances.  Additionally, we will drive these vehicles, as we did our last, for 10 years or so before needing to purchase vehicles again.
• We eat good food.  We are trying to grow 100% of our fruits and veggies consumed throughout the year.  For the last couple of years we've averaged about 87% of our veggies and only about 10% of our fruit.  We're striving for the 100% of veggies this year and about 25% of our fruit.  {the fruit trees and bushes need another year or so to begin producing an abundance}  Grown by us means we know that the food is healthy, nutritious and free of salmonella and other infections/diseases.  We try to buy any additional fruits, veg as well as our meat from local farmers when possible.
• We are each others best friend and spend a lot of time together.  The projects that we complete are usually a collaborative effort and product of both our hard work.
• Our home is where memories and a sense of comfort combine.  We have planted every flower, bush and fruit tree in addition to the garden.  When they emerge in spring we can take satisfaction in our efforts of years past.  Inside our home, it's filled with photos taken by me as well as things we've collected based on a time or place we've been together or a family member or friend we hold dear to our hearts.  We've purged {sold on ebay, garage sales or given away to others} much of the stuff that we could live without and slowed down our rate of consumption.
• We are constantly trying to decrease our waste.  Food waste goes to the chickens or the compost bins.  We are making a conscious effort to buy fewer items that have excessive packaging, re-use items in new ways, and use less disposable products such as plastic bags, paper towels, etc.  {I'm reading a book, The Zero-Waste Lifestyle by Amy Korst which is proving to be inspirational in this aspect.}
• Our focus shifted from doing things with friends such as going out to dinner, going shopping, etc. to enjoying time at each other's homes over home-cooked meals while sharing stories. 
• We are trying to conserve energy, money and resources.
• We try to remember to live in gratitude.  Being grateful for everything that happens in our life, regardless of whether it seems positive or negative at the time, allows us to take our life off of autopilot and embrace changes and challenges as they come.

My intention was not for this to read as though our life is perfect and that everything runs smoothly because it isn't and it doesn't.  We certainly have days where the dirty laundry is piled, there are dishes in the sink, the garden needs weeding, I spend most of my day caring for a sick animal and something within the house needs to be replaced.  It happens.

We also have things I'd like to see us continue to work on such as getting rid of the tv {or at least cutting down the time it's on - my husband feels this is crazy talk}, doing more biking and hiking which we used to do every other weekend, and investing in solar power for our home.

Our imperfect life has stress, but a lot less stress and a different type of stress than our old, also imperfect, life had.  We have consciously decided not to wait for "someday" to start living the life we dream of.  We are doing it now.

I'll leave you with one additional quote that I find inspiring from Linda Breen Pierce:  "Simplicity requires a two-step process.  First, we must invest the time and energy to discover what stirs us as human beings, what makes our hearts sing, and what brings us joy.  Then, we must proceed to create the life that reflects the unique people we truly are."

Please visit the other 4 amazing women joining me on this series for their homesteading stories. 
They are:

Meg at Little Homestead

Tammy at Our Neck Of The Woods

Daisy at Maple Hill 101

Amber at Making A Home

Linking to:  Wildcrafting Wednesday; Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways; Simple Living; Homemaking Link-up and Natural Living.

Our Thoughts And Prayers Are With The People Of Oklahoma

Josephine Has Prolapsed Vent/Blow-Out, a.k.a. Are You Sure You Want Backyard Chickens?

We were in the coop on Sunday, checking out the general health of the ladies and doing a bit of preventative treatment for the creepy crawlies that are likely to come our way any day now.  While in there I noticed a protrusion from Josephine's vent.  My heart dropped.  I knew exactly what it was.  Unfortunately, we were going to have to get to work quickly.

First, what is it?
Prolapsed Vent {also known as blow-out} is a condition where the inner tissues of the cloaca protrude from the vent.  It's a very serious condition that can not only result in death from the actual prolapse but if you don't catch it before the other chickens do, the chicken with the prolapse can die from the others picking at it.

Image Source

What causes it?
A number of things could contribute to a prolapsed vent including, a chicken starting to lay too early, a chicken who has eggs not forming a hard enough shell {lack of calcium}, therefore straining to pass the egg, not enough exercise/not enough of a chicken run for cooped birds {less muscle development}or being forced to lay beyond their natural cycle.

For Josephine, we believe it was the soft shells.  We provide our girls with dried egg shells when we have them as well as oyster shell all the time but we'd noticed soft eggs for about 1 1/2 weeks and weren't sure who was laying them.  Her eggs are now hard - she layed one yesterday.

What to do?
You've got to push the protruding tissue back in.  First, wash the area with warm water to get it as clean as possible.  With a little petroleum jelly, gently push it back into the vent until it's completely in.  Follow-up with a small amount of witch hazel or hemorrhoid cream.  Apply the witch hazel or cream daily for about a week.

If possible, remove her from the flock to her own cage for a few days.  Unfortunately, she is now prone to this so you'll need to keep an eye on her for her lifetime.


The reason I also titled this post "Are You Sure You Want Backyard Chickens?" is because I don't think people think about the medical issues that can arise when deciding to bring chickens home.  If you aren't prepared to deal with this, an egg-bound hen {you must remove the egg from the chicken without breaking it} or other conditions known to chickens, raising chickens may not be for you.

Chickens are fun, they are easy and they bring us a lot of joy.  However, like any animal, there are going to be injuries and illness that you'll need to treat.  Unlike dogs and cats, it can be difficult and very expensive to find a vet to treat your chicken.  You don't want your chickens unnecessarily suffering so it's imperative to think this through prior to the purchase.

Recipe - The Best Peanut Butter Bars

I meant to post this on the farm blog last week when I posted the recipe on the cooking blog.

I forgot.

These are absolutely delicious, no-bake, quick, and easy.

The recipe is on my cooking blog, Simple Farmstead Cooking.

Weekend

blueberry bushes

baby beets!

asparagus

lettuce

strawberries are coming

cutest little bag I won

Oliver & Emerson

Caity Bug

As I type tonight it is drizzly and dark.  Yesterday, however, was sunny and warm allowing me to finish my planting of the garden.  This week there is a chance of rain everyday, so the garden will be well watered.

We are eating tons of asparagus - that, lettuce and carrots are the only things ready to eat.  I always do a late plant of carrots in the fall in time for them to grow a bit and then go dormant.  They are then covered for the winter and at the very start of spring, as soon as the ground thaws, they begin growing and voila - we have carrots about the time the garden is ready to be planted.

The animals are starting to get used to our new schedule, with me being home, and after a week and a half of their exhaustion from supervising my every move, I'm finally allowed to accomplish some {not all} tasks on my own while they nap.  This week I'll be busy spreading 6 yards of mulch in between rain showers.  Hopefully they'll allow me to get that done without too much supervision.

I won the cutest little bag {pictured above} last week.  Tammy from Our Neck Of The Woods had a giveaway of this adorable bag made by Jackie at Born Ambitious Born Imaginative and I won.  Thanks so much ladies!

Can I tell you about a yummy find from Trader Joe's?  If you shop at that store and you like to grill burgers on the grill, can I highly recommend the frozen Kobe Burgers?  On a whim while shopping with my mom last week I bought a box of two.  We had them for dinner last night and they were moist, juicy, and delicious.  They are not small - each patty is about 1/2 pound of beef, and they are so worth it.

Hoping you had a wonderful weekend!

Dish Soap - Is It Better To Buy Or Make?

Here's the thing.

I like to make my own products but only if the end result is, in my opinion, equal to or better than the store bought version.

I was going to write this post 2 weeks ago and my answer was going to be - buy it.  The homemade versions just don't cut it.  But then I decided to give one more variation of the main recipe I'd been using a try.  I found it on another blog and people loved it.

I, however, did not.

My post, now 2 weeks and 1 additional recipe later, is holding with the opinion that it's better to buy.  The homemade versions are just too watery.  I don't have a dishwasher, therefore, wash all dishes by hand and I just need to feel soap and I need it to last.  I know, I know, lack of suds or thickness does not mean your dishes aren't clean.  It's just a hard thing for me to compromise on.

In the event you would like to try the recipe{s} for yourself, here are the ones I tried:

Homemade Dishwashing Soap #1
3 c. boiling water
1 c. liquid castile soap
2 T. grated bar soap
2 T. super washing soda
2 T. white vinegar
Mix together all ingredients until fully combined.  Let sit overnight to gel.


Homemade Dishwashing Soap #2
3 c. boiling water
2 T. grated bar soap
2 T. borax
Mix together all ingredients until fully combined.  Let sit overnight to gel.


Homemade Dishwashing Soap #3
2 c. boiling water
1 T. borax
1 T. super washing soda
1/2 c. liquid castile soap
2 T. white vinegar
Mix together all ingredients until fully combined.  Let sit overnight to gel.


Homemade Dishwashing Soap #4
1/4 c. grated bar soap
2 c. boiling water
1 T. white vinegar
1 T. vegetable glycerin
Mix together all ingredients until fully combined.  Let sit overnight to gel.

How We Homestead Series: How It All Began

This is part 1 of a 5-part series on how 5 different bloggers homestead.  Please join us each Wednesday for a new post in the series.

It all started with a Countryside magazine.  Let me explain.

I began having daydreams of moving to the country in 2006.  Frustrated with the feelings of never having enough, not measuring up to what seemed to be others standards coupled with the growing concerns over the quality {or lack of} of the country's food supply I began wondering if it was possible to live a life that focused on the quality of life and not the quantity of things acquired.  A life that didn't leave me feeling like we always needed more.  Have you ever thought "if I just made X amount of dollars more then I would be ok financially" only to get there and within months you're still needing more?  That's the result of living at or above your means.  I wanted to attempt to live below our means. I also wanted to take some responsibility for the food that we consume, learn how to live with less, slow down our busy lives a bit and savor in the small moments.  Because of my love for animals, I dreamed that this would all happen in the country.

That year, while Jay and I were on vacation, we took a trip to a local bookstore so that Jay could pick up a magazine or two to read on the beach.  While there, a magazine caught my eye.  It was Countryside.  Intrigued, I bought it.  That evening I opened it up and began to read the stories shared by readers while Jay watched tv.  I immediately felt "yes, this is how I feel; this is how I want my life to be".  I couldn't believe the number of people who seemed to feel the same way as myself.  Those stories gave me courage and I also learned that this lifestyle now had a name - homesteading or self-sufficient living.  Sure, there were stories of those who took this lifestyle a little more extreme than I intended, but I had admiration for them.

The next piece of the puzzle I discovered, this time from a book, was a movement called Voluntary Simplicity.  Simply stated, voluntarily living your life with less "stuff".  I enjoyed reading about it and could feel in my heart this was the right path for me.  Now to share my findings with Jay.....

To my delight, he was completely on board and wondered, as did I, just how much into self-sufficiency and country living we should go.  So, we cut up the only 2 credit cards we had, I sold off most of my collections of stuff {only keeping what remained near and dear}, and we decided to look for a home just outside the city limits to give this new lifestyle a try.  Thinking of our new way of living, we wanted a piece of land with the house, it didn't necessarily matter how large, and the area needed to be zoned for animals.  The next step we did was we took the dollar amount we were approved for a mortgage for and cut that in half.  That's what we were looking to spend.  This way, our lives wouldn't be run based on our monthly mortgage payment.  In the end, we spent just over half of what we were approved for.





Here are some of the homesteading principles we've come up with for ourselves:

• Replenish the soil that provides you with abundance.
• Hand-make as many items as possible throughout the year and creatively recycle what we can.
• If we must purchase something, buy used when possible.  Before each purchase, ask yourself if it's a need or a want.
• When purchasing new products, support locally owned businesses and/or artist/artisans when possible.
• Try to make use of what we've got.
• Raise/make/grow what we can.
• Live without debt.

In an attempt to not overwhelm ourselves since we do work 40+ hours per week outside of the home, we try to add a few new things to our repertoire each year.  This year's additions will hopefully include cheesemaking {soft and hard cheeses}, cold frames {if I can get my handy hubby to make them}, seed saving and canning with a pressure canner.

"Simple Living" or homesteading is not necessarily simple yet it's rewarding.  It's humbling and challenging but it teaches us so much.  We dove into chicken-keeping with not much knowledge and learned tons within the first few months.  We made mistakes, lost one chicken to pneumonia, but we grew and learned both as people and as homesteaders.  My first garden I literally tossed seeds into the beds and hoped for the best.  With everything else on my plate I didn't have the time to devote to it that I would have liked.  But guess what?  My garden grew!  Sure, I could have produced more had I taken care of each particular crop the way they desire and amended the soil, etc. but it worked and I've learned a tremendous amount since that first attempt.  The first time I canned Jay walked into the house and burst out laughing.  I was holding the jar lifter backwards.  {go ahead and laugh - I've laughed plenty about this since then} The taste of home canned produce in the middle of winter is a pleasure I can't believe I ever lived without.

There are two typical responses I get when talking to someone about homesteading or self-sufficient living:  1. that's really cool.  I could never do that, but it's really cool that you do.  or 2. why do you choose to live this way????

The simple answer for the question above is, to live an enjoyable and fulfilling life.  We all have ideas of what is enjoyable and what is fulfilling, and to us, this is it.  A low-stress, very busy, extremely rewarding, lots of hard work, high-quality real food, low consumerism life.  If we hadn't realized it already, we certainly realized after the death of both of Jay's parents at early ages that life, plain and simply, is too short.  However you define your ideal life, I sincerely hope you're living it.

Please visit the other 4 amazing women joining me on this series for their homesteading stories.
They are:

Meg at Little Homestead

Tammy at Our Neck Of The Woods

Daisy at Maple Hill 101

Amber at Making A Home