Think you’d like to make homemade maple syrup? It’s deliciously rewarding. And you can start super small. Read this previous post for directions on your first steps toward this amazing liquid delicacy. Go here for a list of the exact supplies our family uses to make maple syrup, right in our backyard. Then read on for details […]
Make Your Own Maple Syrup (part 2) Read More »
Braided wool rugs are kinda a family thing for us. Well, not really for me. A lot of things totally skipped a generation with me. I can’t sew “worth a lick,” as my mom would’ve said. But my daughters know their way around a sewing machine and back. I barely braid hair, but my daughters can
Clean Your Braided Wool Rugs in 3 Easy Steps Read More »
Seedling planters tend to overrun our sunny window ledges and counters around this time of the year. And they come in all shapes and sizes. My teen gardener has experimented with quite a few ideas over the years, and I thought I’d share a few of our favorites. Edit to Add: I’ll be sharing in an upcoming post
Try These 6 Ingenious Seedling Planters! Read More »
This week marks my first holiday of love without the two people who loved me the longest; and I’ll be missing my mom and dad on Valentine’s Day. This is the third in a four-part series about grieving the loss of a loved one. Since I can’t send mom and dad a valentine this year, I decided to send
Questions to Ask Mom and Dad on Valentine’s Day (& a fun craft) Read More »
It’s been quiet but productive around the homestead this week. There has been cold wind, treacherous ice, and standard difficulties, but when I focus on those things then sings my soul from somewhere in me but apart from me, reminding me I am blessed. I am reminded that even in the hard moments there is indeed reason to
3 Resources That Comfort When Life is Tough Read More »
Saying goodbye to a loved one takes a while. It happens in stages. I’ve been saying goodbye to my Mom and Dad for many weeks. I imagine I will be for a lifetime. But I’ve learned, for me at least, there have been four stages of grief: DISCLOSURE: This post contains affiliate links. ♥ __________________________ { This is
The 4 stages of grief Read More »
I hadn’t heard all the hype about Broken Heart Syndrome. The hype that, apparently, filled social media for a week after Debbie Reynolds died just one day after her daughter, Carrie Fisher. I had been pretty removed from the world, actually, and clueless to news stories since mom first started her chemo treatment eight weeks
What my parents taught me about Broken Heart Syndrome Read More »
We didn’t make a gingerbread house. We made a gingerbread farm. Our inspiration? Our own 200-year old farmhouse, our own farm animals, and a Christmas without presents. I’d been out of town for most of November and December. I’d looked over the girls’ school work from my mom’s hospital room 400 miles away, video chatting
How We Made a Gingerbread Farm Read More »
Ever thought about trying to make your own maple syrup? This is the first in a multi-part series documenting my family’s failures (lots) and successes (a few) at our first attempt to do so. And I’ll fill you in on our results this year as well… it should be a SWEET series. btw, before you hesitate
Make Your Own Maple Syrup (part 1) Read More »
Fall ushers in deliciousness. And fall always reminds me of a classic children’s book every homesteader needs to read to every child in their life. Heirloom pumpkin treasures draped over our garden fence mean homemade pumpkin bread in a few weeks. (See this post for my family’s favorite pumpkin bread recipe.) Just-picked apples are
Fall deliciousness & Blueberries for Sal Read More »
