"UnStuffed" A huge step in our plan

As part of our plan we are downsizing from a 4 bedroom to a 2 bedroom. Let me tell you this is hard for me. I have a lot of  "STUFF". Important "STUFF", memorable "STUFF", and what if I need that one day "STUFF". Over the years you get things from grandparents and other relatives, and feel like you have to keep those items, no matter what. I have lots of those items. I also have lots of craft supplies a whole shed full. That "STUFF" is expensive and I could need it one day.

One day I received and email from Ruth Soukup about her new book coming out. The email was looking for people to be apart of her launch team. Guess what I was picked. So this book is on my desk as we speak. I have read the first chapter,

and this was exactly what I needed right now in my life.

As I read this book, I will share "STUFF" from the book that might encourage you to buy this book, and "UNSTUFF" your life!!

In Chapter ONE- I love this-

"Becoming unstuffed, truly unstuffed, is much more than that.

It's changing the way we look at our schedules and the stuff that fills our time.

It's changing the way we look at our relationships and the stuff they are made of.

Its becoming purposeful about the stuff we let in, because the reality is that nature hates the vacuum, and if we are to become unstuffed, we better spend some time thinking about what that really means before our unstuffing stuffs us with new stuff we don't need or want. "

http://www.amazon.com/Unstuffed-Decluttering-Your-Home-Mind-ebook/dp/B010R5PUNE


Tired of feeling overwhelmed by clutter? Get @RuthSoukup’s new book ‪#‎Unstuffed‬ ($75 in free bonuses too) -> Unstuffed.com

"Camping"

So as we start our journey we will be living in "camping" mode for a while. I am excited because I love to go camping. I have never really camped for more than 7 days. So this will be an experience that we are not familiar with. So I have started my "lists". I have a month to get things prepared and into bins. Here is the start to my lists:

Kitchen

bowls/plates/cups
trash bags
ziplocs/tinfoil
napkins/paper towels/tissue
matches/lighter/
dish soap/hand soap/hand sanitizer
cleaning wipes/baby wipes
dish towels/cleaning rags/sponges
Tupperware
cooking oil/non stick spray
seasonings
cutting board/knives/scissors
skillet/pans/dutch ovens/camp stove
mitts/hot pads
measuring sups/mixing bowls
wash tubs
table/table cloths
spatulas/cooking utensils
wooden spoons
can opener/knives
cooler/drink cooler/ water container washing

Sleeping/Bathroom

deodorant/lotion
chap sticks
hair supplies/brushes/bobby pins
toilet paper
pop up dirty clothes bin
shampoo/conditioner/bath soap
toothbrush/toothpaste
tweezers/first aid kit/safety pins
lotion
medications
bath towels
razor/hair trimmer
bug spray/sunscreen
aloe vera
rubbing alcohol/peroxide/itch cream
spray bottles

Other

plastic grocery bags                                  flipflops/shoes
duct tape                                                   sippy cups
notepad/pens                                            binoculars
coloring books/crayons                             card games/board games
glowsticks/flashlights                                drawing pads/puzzles
walkie talkies                                            camp chairs/sheets/pillows/bedding
rope                                                          tables
clothes pins                                              camera
bug candles                                              swim stuff
radio                                                          fishing stuff
work cloves                                               charcoal/lighter fluid/
hats/ visors                                                magazines/books/how to books
fire extinguisher                                         
tarps

Homestead Home Sweet Home

 

Just Jump....is in the process!! We have ordered our Home/Cabin and it will be delivered in 3-4 weeks. I am so excited. This is just the outside, we have to finish the inside. Our plan for now is to spend the spring and summer in camping mode. So that we can work on our Home Sweet Home. We will be able to work 3-4 days a week when my husband is off.

The last 2 weeks I have been cleaning house. We have sold lots of furniture. I have made 3 trips to donate lots of bags of stuff. We are down grading now from a 4 bedroom home to a 2 bedroom home. This is part of our year plan to get the land ready for the move to our homestead.

My hope is to not have to store much furniture. Right now we have couches, dresser and my childhood piano that will need to go into storage. I am looking to have a garage sale in the next couple weeks to sell odds and ends. I have lots of multiples and extras I have not used in a long time. So I am going to have a $3 or less yard sale. That will be the last of everything I do not need. What doesn't sell I will donate. It feels so good to rid yourself and your home of so much stuff. The clutter is disappearing. I do not want to take all the clutter with me. I want simple. I want to take care of children, the land and our animals, not things and stuff.

 

IF you are interested in the Cumberland Sheds/Cabins look here

https://www.facebook.com/cumberlandbuildings

 

 

Let's Just Jump

Why is change so hard?  I just want to jump and go for it, and then I get cold feet. Our whole marriage we have been sitting back and waiting for things to happen. We are not the risk takers. Curtis is very level headed, and thinks thing thru, and sometimes

over thinks things:).

Now we are to a point that if this is what we want we need to just jump. We need to stick to our plan, and not get scared and give up. Yesterday we went to bed with the unknown, of what our plans were going to be when we woke up today. After a nights rest, we woke this morning with clearer heads, we sat down and recommitted ourselves to our plan. Forward HO!! We went this morning, and went thru our storage unit and cleaned out everything we need to take to our land to start prepping the land for our home, and our storage shed/barn. Who likes cleaning our a storage unit...... not us!!

As we went thru out STUFF the excitement came rushing back, and our motivation. Sometimes you just need to let your mind rest. Today we made some definite plans, and we are moving forward. In 4 weeks our Cabin/home shell will be ready and moved to our land.

Ready or not here we come.

Love this Sign

Creating a Community of Neighbors

One of the things near the top of my list would be to have a community of people that you can barter, trade, learn from, BBQ together, visit, kids play, and know if in an emergency there is a community to come together and help one another out.

I don't want a neighbor over the fence ;) so to speak. I also don't want at this time to be isolated from everything and everyone. So as we begin our off-grid Homesteading transition, I am trying to recruit. My best friend and her family would love to make this transition. So I am plugging all that is good in her ear, and hoping our transition will inspire them as well. I know of one other family that is working towards a move to the same are. There are two small towns near us about a 45 minute drive.

I also would like to find or maybe I will have to create an online community for those in the area with the same goals. I am apart of a Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/OffGridandHomesteadLadies/

that I love, but I have not found anyone that lives with in the same state in this group. Finding people and creating friendship through common interests is important. I hope that through my journey of Creating a Community of Neighbors, I can share my experience with you so that my community of neighbors can grow online as well.

How To Earn Money On Your Homestead

There is so many opportunities out there, and everyone has different talents and skills.

Here is a list of thing to look into and explore.

 

 

Create Your Own Website
http://www.wix.com/stunninglybeautiful/fb-acquisition-a?pp=0&utm_campaign=fb_pp%7Cp_pinterest_us_build_gardenred&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=pinterest

Create Your Own Blog
http://www.blogger.com/

Sell Your Home Grown Things
-eggs, garden veggies, milk, beef, pork, chickens, goats, fish, honey, fresh herbs,
-Make homemade baked goods and sell them at your local farmers market. Homemade french bread, buns, or cinnamon rolls, jams, jellies are always a hit!
-incubate eggs
-worms
-soaps, lotions, balms, candles
-refurbish furniture
-cut and sell fire wood
-pumpkins, orchards

Use Etsy to sell your homemade items
http://www.etsy.com/

There are so many things to make and create. If you can create a business doing things you love, I think that is the best option. Maybe you will have to try a few things, and really see what you are good at. You should look into the market in your area as well and see what is needed.
These are just a few ideas. There is so much out there. Now I need to find my "talent" so I can work to earn money when I am on my homestead.

Homestead Help Books

I love books, and YouTube videos to help learn the many things that I do not know about. Here are just two book I have and look to for help in our preparing for the big move.

 

 

Keeping chickens is a popular and growing pastime, so find out all you need to know in this must-have book. * Covers everything from egg-laying to ease of keeping for over 70 different breeds * Discover how to set up and maintain a healthy hen house to keep your chickens warm, dry and safe from predators * Practical advice on hygiene, disease and healthcare ensures that your flock is always in pristine show condition * Learn about broody birds and egg incubation, and rear a new generation of chicks to brighten up your garden .

http://www.amazon.com/Keeping-Chickens-Getting-Best-From/dp/0715336258/ref=cm_sw_em_r_rdptod_vaFWwb00ZHPTY_tt

The Weekend Homesteader is organized by month—so whether it’s January or June you’ll find exciting, short projects that you can use to dip your toes into the vast ocean of homesteading without getting overwhelmed. If you need to fit homesteading into a few hours each weekend and would like to have fun while doing it, these projects will be right up your alley, whether you live on a forty-acre farm, a postage-stamp lawn in suburbia, or a high rise. 
You'll learn about backyard chicken care, how to choose the best mushroom and berry species, and why and how to plant a no-till garden that heals the soil while providing nutritious food.  Permaculture techniques will turn your homestead into a vibrant ecosystem and attract native pollinators while converting our society's waste into high-quality compost and mulch. Meanwhile, enjoy the fruits of your labor right away as you learn the basics of cooking and eating seasonally, then preserve homegrown produce for later by drying, canning, freezing, or simply filling your kitchen cabinets with storage vegetables. As you become more self-sufficient, you'll save seeds, prepare for power outages, and tear yourself away from a full-time job, while building a supportive and like-minded community. You won't be completely eliminating your reliance on the grocery store, but you will be plucking low-hanging (and delicious!) fruits out of your own garden by the time all forty-eight projects are complete.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Weekend-Homesteader-Twelve-Month-Self-Sufficiency/dp/1616088826/ref=cm_sw_em_r_rdptod_EdFWwb1W3XCQD_tt

Working List of Tools and Supplies

One thing we have started is working on a list of things we will need to have to start building and working on our land. Here is what our list looks like, the red is what we still need. I am sure this list will grow.

ATV                   Utility Trailer

Winch                Chainsaw

Axe                    Water Hoses

Generator           Kerosene Heater

Work Gloves       Tape Measure

Ladders              Sawzall

Circular Saw        Wood Burning Stove

Crates                 Extension Cords

Table Saw           Cordless Drill extra Battery

Bar Clamps          Staple Gun

Wood chisel Set    Socket Set

Wrench Set           Allen Wrenches

Utility Knife           Solar Battery Charger

Wire Strippers       Hammer

Drill                     Pliers

Water Barrels       Nails Screws

Pipe Wrenches     Rake

Rope                   Crowbar

Shovel                 Leveler

Sander                5 gal Buckets

Hoe                    First Aid Kit

Hacksaw             Tarp

Duct tape

Electrical tape

 

 

 

Off- Grid Homestead and Children

One of my concerns as a Mommy is only having one child. I have done the whole work up in my mind of horrible Mommy and best Mommy. It seems its easier to focus on horrible Mommy since  I am comparing this way of living to the way I raised my first daughter who is now 18. Now I have a 1.5 year old and this will be a different upbringing then what I or my husband experienced. So I took to the Internet to a Facebook Group I found that supports us Women and Moms. The support and encouragement is amazing that I had to share.

-Every person I know who grew up in the woods seems to have had a fuller childhood

-I learned to love books and learning; traveling all over the world in my imagination from reading.

-Most kids today are so over-stimulated and over-scheduled that they don't know what it's like to be a child. I think your choice to raise her this way is actually the better choice of the two. It's a simple life; it's a great opportunity to raise her in the knowledge of how to tend the land and provide for herself and her family some day, too

-Make sure she has at least one animal to call her own - a dog, a horse, a goat. ..

-Growing up surrounded by nature is infinitely nicer than growing up surrounded by concrete.

-Go for it! She will know she is loved by mom and dad. Growing up surrounded by nature. What a blessing!

- I firmly believe that city living is physically, mentally, and emotionally unhealthy for most people.

These are just a few comments from these amazing Moms, to help encourage me.

Cumberland Buildings....

http://www.cumberlandbuildings.com/

Check Out their website. This is were we plan on buying our Shell Cabin. There are other companies that make them as well. This company has a dealer near us. They have lots of options to customize and adapt to what your needs are. Check them out!!

Homesteading Help is Everywhere

Here is 5 of many places we have visited to gain more knowledge as we move forward in our Homesteading Journey. Take a look!!

http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2013/05/you-cant-do-it-all-5-tips-for-staying-sane-as-you-homestead.html

http://www.commonsensehome.com/

http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2013/08/12-questions-to-ask-before-you-buy-a-homestead-property.html

http://littlemountainhaven.com/

http://areturntosimplicity.com/

Land.....Shelter....Water.....

Land

Deciding on where to go has been hard for us, and I am sure everyone else making this decision. There is the dream property and, then there is the logical and smarter land option. Our smarter land option is 5 acres that we already own. It is fenced, has water, and has road access all year round. One of our top priorities is to use what we have and to not go into debt if we can help it. We would like to use this year and get as much ready as we can using what we have, and while working a second job we have the money. Once we leave we will not have the second job anymore. So our land decision is going with the 5 acres we already have and make it into "Our" dream property.

Shelter

For us when deciding on shelter we have two options that we looked at that best work for us and our needs. The first is to build a cabin/home by ourselves from plans we can purchase on the internet. When looking at this options, we do have a year and it would take us that long for sure :) It could be cheaper as long as we don't make too many mistakes. Or we can go with our second option which is to purchase a cabin shell, and then finish the inside. So our shelter would be in place and we could in the spring and summer months go out to our land and stay in it and work on it. If we go with the first option, we have no where to stay while

building and we really do not want to buy a trailer to stay in while we build. Our second option would cost us around $11500.00. That is just the outside shell. This we will purchase with cash from selling a rental home we currently own. No financing!! Then we have the next year and the second job to finish the inside. We have decided that option two is what will work best for us.

Water- As much as I would love to collect water from a stream with a basket every day a few times a day ;) Our decision to go with the land we already own was made due to the land having water already. There is a well on the property line. I know many do not have this option and have to work out other methods for their water source. For us we did not want to have to haul water in. So giving up on the tree filled land for land that is paid for and has water was top on our smart list. We can plant trees :)