I’m downsizing. I think I’ve gone as far as I want to go with my homesteading right now, and I’m walking back certain decisions; remolding my tiny slice of earth (once again) to best suit our needs. This is an interesting feeling for me – a reversal after 12 years now, of working towards ever-greater…
Archives for 2016
Thoughts On 6 Weeks Without Alcohol
When I announced to the interwoobles on a whim that I was quitting drinking for Lent, I expected a little good-natured ribbing and I got it. Friends expressed concern that I’d been replaced by a podperson, asked how the tremors were going, sent me photos of cocktails overlaid with “wish you were here,” like a…
The Money Drip Savings Heirarchy
I know this isn’t a financial blog, and this post won’t appeal to all readers, but a big part of running any home – productive or not – is money stuff. So, I wanted to share how Homebrew Husband and I have, over the years, honed a kind of financial hierarchy for our savings goals. We…
DIY Talc-Free Baby Powder
My book publisher forwarded some interview questions to me from a British magazine a while back. One of the questions was, “Why would people want to make their own body care products instead of buying them in the shop?” Three days after I returned my answer, Johnson & Johnson, the company behind some of the most recognizable…
Reader Questions: February
I can’t let February sneak past without doing a reader question post. This month: fermentation lids, peppers that will ripen in the Northwest, litter for chicken coops and more. We also have Community Questions asking for suggestions, advice or resources for gardening in Central America and Florida. I’m not knowledgeable enough to answer, but maybe you can help?
5 Things Friday: 2/26/16
Ooh, how time flies! This week: what the heck I’ve been doing for the past week, Jim Gaffigan on parenthood, slow flowers for late February and more.
Kale & Chickpea Salad with Slow-Roasted Tomatoes
The thing about salads in winter, is – they have to have some ooomph there, you know what I mean? In summer I’ve been known to eat a head of romaine plain, one leaf at a time…munch, munch, munch. But in winter I like meal-worthy salads with hearty components like beets, apple, sweet potatoes and more. With garbanzo beans, slow…
How To Make DIY Liquid Castile Soap
I made 6 gallons of liquid soap so you don’t have to. You know about Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Castile Soap. It’s been an all-in-one, all-natural cleaning solution for generations of hippies, greenies and all manner of natural living advocates. Dr. Bronner’s is great, but it’s not the cheapest cleaner out there. So, these were my…
Five Things Friday: 2/12/16
I’m sick. I’ve been sick and more-or-less in bed for three days. Shout out to my husband for keeping everything running around here while I’ve been down for the count. So this week’s 5 Things Friday is really 3 Things Friday. I’m cutting it off short so I can go crawl back into bed with my tea….
Fasting, Booze, Lent and The Hedonic Treadmill
Today is Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent. You’ve probably heard of giving something up for Lent. Traditionally, Catholics who are better Catholics than me use the 40 days (not including Sundays) between today and Good Friday (that’s the Friday before Easter) to fast, pray, do charity and reflect on the sacrifices of Christ. But…
Are LED Grow Lights Worth The Money?
Reader Chris wrote in several weeks ago, asking about LED Grow Lights. Have you revisited LED Grow Lights lately? I want to start some transplants earlier than usual this year, and my normal method of raising transplants won’t work. I need to invest in some grow lights and I really don’t want to buy fluorescent tubes…
5 Things Friday: 2/5/16
Time for the weekly-ish round-up of randomness! 5 Things Friday is my way of shoe-horning in and discussing things that don’t necessarily belong on an urban homesteading blog, just because I’ve been thinking about them the past week. This week: George Carlin is my kind of life philosopher, how to get one over on the internet, a…