Starting From Scratch

Starting from scratch. This excites me and frightens me all at the same time. I think I truly enjoy taking things that are new to me and redoing them. Maybe that is why we have moved 7 times in 14 years of marriage. Every new place was a clean chalkboard waiting for me to change. I always repainted the inside of each home, to make it my own. I love to redecorate and create our cozy home where ever we go.

This time starting from scratch takes on a whole new meaning. It isn't just walls to be painted and decorating. It is STARTING FROM SCRATCH, from the dirt up. That's exhausting just thinking about it. I'm excited to get things moving, and begin this new journey. Right now we are stuck in between. Lets get the BALL rolling.

One thing that I am most excited about, is all the animals. I love love love animals. I am excited to create our homestead and map it all out. All the animal shelter, and next spring I will get my garden ready for planting.

This will be a chore for me, and I have a great teacher and example. My Dad has the perfect garden.

Perfectly set up, everything is perfectly lines up, and perfectly planted. My Dad is a perfectionist. I wish I inherited some of that :)

I will definitely be seeking his advice, and knowledge when I start my own garden.

 

Other things that I am interested in STARTING from SCRATCH will be soaps, and most of our foods. Maybe one day I will learn to sew ;)

Last week I made laundry detergent for the first time. I love it, and wish I would have started that a long time ago. Little things that seem like too much, so I skip trying and chose the easier route. Now that I have made it myself it really isn't hard at all. The best thing is I get to choose the scents :)

Check out this list of 100 things to make from scratch.

 

http://www.blisstree.com/2010/06/04/sex-relationships/100-things-you-can-make-yourself/

 



Shed Options Easy to OH MY GOSH

We currently do not have a shed in place. All of our tool and stuff are in storage. We need a shed as soon as possible, so we can have all our tools and supplies on our land. We have looked in to all avenues. Build ourselves, move an already built one, or one that can be built and delivered, and our last option, buy a used one that needs to be put together.

Look at this nice looking shed from LifeTime Sheds.

 http://www.lifetime.com/gallery/storage/outdoor-storage-buildings

 

We found a person selling their lifetime shed due to HOA not allowing it. So they took it apart and sold it for half what they paid. Good deal right?? So we jumped on it, it was bigger then what we had been looking at, and priced lower than our other options. We drove and loaded the shed pieces, and when I say pieces look at the hardware bag.

 

The Assembly instruction book is 41 pages long. Here we are trying to find a fast and easier solution. This was not it. My husband says its gonna take him a week to install. He cannot take vacation time from work right now to build a shed that is literally in a million pieces.

I took to craigslist to try and find a person that could assemble the shed for us and not break the bank. So far I am not finding this to be the solution either. I hate to see the shed sit and never get put together.  Here I sit trying to figure out what we do now, we have two weeks til our Cabin/Home will be delivered and our hope was to have a shed in place.

The cheaper easier(so we thought) route has turned out not to be the best plan.

I think we can build something much easier ourselves and not try assemble the lifetime shed that will take a week to read and figure out how to assemble a million pieces. Maybe someday we can have this nice looking shed. When we have the extra time.

 

Moving Dirt and Other Business

This weekend we started a few projects. First we picked up a shed, and it was in a million pieces. This really discouraged Curtis, but I know he can do it!!

We hauled the shed parts ;) to our land. When we got this all unloaded, our next goal was to 

MOVE DIRT  and get the area ready for our Home/Cabin shell. It will be coming around the first of April. While Curtis moved dirt, me and the baby played in it. She loved it. She tried to eat every rock. The weather was perfect. It was nice to be on our land.

 It was exciting to start getting things in motion.

As we were driving home. Talking about everything that needs to get done. I said STOP we cannot start this route of thinking. We need to take one step at a time. We are already overwhelmed, and this is not the way to go. So this weeks goal is to finish the area for the cabin. We need to haul out cinder blocks, and then we are going to start the shed while we wait for the cabin. We need the shed to store all our tools. The tools are currently in storage 2 hours away from our land.

 

We have a plans to live as though we are camping for now. We will add and finish the cabin as we go, with the goal to have it insulated and ready for winter. We will be doing solar power, and propane, and a wood burning stove for heat. Our land has water, the well is right by our property line. I think we have figured out the Potty business ;) its temporary. Curtis would really like to eventually put in a septic tank. I think that will get move up on the list after dealing with the stinky stuff for a few months. Like I said ONE project at a time. The grand picture is overwhelming. So for now I am going to enjoy roughing it in CAMPING style.

 

 



The Count Down Begins.....

The Count Down Begins. We are on a schedule now. The delivery of our Cabin Shell will be delivered any where between March 29- April 5. We are so excited. We have so much on our plate during these 3-4 weeks. We are downsizing and moving a lot of our stuff into storage. I have been selling lots of stuff. We have to get the land ready for the Cabin. We have to get a shed to the property to hold tools and supplies. Busy Busy Busy. I like to stay busy and this will definitely be a busy month. I'm so anxious to get started and begin this new journey our family is about the enjoy.

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Chickens.....Cows.....Goats.....Pigs.....Rabbits.....Sheep

 

I love animals, and I am so excited to have them on our land with us. Trying to decide which ones to get first. I know it wouldn't be smart to jump in and get all of them at once.

We have had chickens for many years.  We had a pet pig for about 3 years. We have had a goat for a year. This was all over 3 years ago. Currently we only have dogs.

As I research breeds, and look for advice on the this subject. This is what I have come across:

 

"Why Raise Chickens In Your Backyard? The Many Reasons & Benefits Hens will produce eggs that are fresh and nutritious, not to mention great tasting. Backyard eggs are also much healthier than their store bought counterparts. Backyard eggs contain: 1/3 the Cholesterol of store bought eggs 2/3 more vitamin A 1/4 less saturated fat 2 times the amount of Omega 3 fatty acids 3 times the amount of Vitamin E 7 times more Beta Carotene"

 

 

Pros and Cons COWS & GOATS

http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2010/11/goat-101-cow-vs-goat.html

 

http://104homestead.com/buying-nigerian-dwarf/

 

General

 

http://www.offthegridnews.com/how-to-2/6-livestock-you-can-raise-on-just-14-an-acre/

http://www.livinggreenandfrugally.com/top-5-livestock-to-keep-at-your-home-and-why/

 

 

Rabbits

 

http://theelliotthomestead.com/2015/05/raising-rabbits-for-meat/?utm_source=Homestead+Newsletter&utm_campaign=aa26125fc9-MayWeekOne&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_88cb99fbd5-aa26125fc9-66098673

 

 

I would like to eventually have all these animals. I will be smart and start with one at a time. I have already raised chickens for many years, and so I will start with them. Since I am familiar with chickens, I would like to start another animal shortly after. Goats?? or Sheep ??

 

 

 

 

Losing A Loved One

Last night I lost my Grandpa. He was 94. He lived a long happy life. He never went to the doctor. He believed that bananas and graham crackers for breakfast everyday was the key to long life ;) He also gave us a large spoon full of honey to help with whatever ails you. He was the grandpa who make chocolate malt milk, always had the best cereal, family pancake tosses, and more. He had a memory that went back to his childhood, he knows names and stories from all those years. He was also very funny some might say  a smart a**. That is hereditary :). He lost his wife my Grandma 18 years ago. The reunion I am sure was amazing. He truly missed her, and was ready to go to the other side. He was a very Godly man. Always serving others, and the kindest man around. He will always be remembered for his SILVER DOLLARS. As a child he always gave us silver dollars on birthdays, and Christmas. Later in his life he started giving them to all the high school graduates at his local high school. He also carries them where ever he goes, and hands them out generously to people he comes in contact with. At church on Sundays he always gives a dollar to each family member that sits in front of him. He's not a rich man when it comes to the dollar. But he was a rich man in so many other ways. He has 7 children, 35 grandchildren, and over a 100 great grandchildren. His posterity is worth more than anything. He leaves behind a huge legacy and a huge desire for me to be more like him.

As I reflect on my Grandpa and the life he lived, it was simple, it was exactly what our family is working towards. My Grandpa worked a farm for many years, he ate simply, he didn't need things. As his children and I were around him after he passed, it was easy to me to see those children that learned from their Father. They were so caring to him, even though his spirit was gone, and all that remained was his earthly body. They still worried if he was cold, and comfortable, and that he could see his picture of his lovely wife. I love this man greatly, and will miss him greatly. Today I have a renewed energy and desire to be more like him. I want my children to be kind, loving, and hardworking. I want them to think of others, and take care of those around them. I want them to know who they are and how important they are to so many people.

As we take our new journey to our new life and land, I will take my Grandpa's memory with me and think of him daily, and strive to be more like him in so many ways. Til We Meet Again. Love you always Grandpa.

Mommy Medicine Cabinet

Mommy Medicine Cabinet

I have been thinking a lot lately about my

“mommy medicine cabinet.”

I know there are different types of things people use to care for themselves and their families.

Oils, Healing Herbs, Acupressure,

and I am sure there are more avenues that I am not aware of. Here’s what I have come up with so far.

 

First I listed my families main medicinal needs:

Allergies-oregano, Evening PrimRose, Green Tea, Omega 3's, Skullcap

oils- lemon, lavender, peppermint

Headaches-feverfew, peppermint

oils-thieves, capaiba, balsam fir

Colds/Flu-sage, elderberry, licorice root, olive leaf, lemon
oils-lemon , oregano, carrier oil

Anxiety-chamomile, lemon balm, st johns wart, lavender, poppy, valerian
oils-valor& peace and calming
     stressaway & peace and calming

Menstration Cramps-oils joy & panaway

Heart burn- oil- di-gize

Cold Sores- lemon balm, elderberry
oils- pepper mint

Ear infection- Garlic
oils- thieves, purification, lavender
      basil, lavender, melaleuca

Immune- Astragalus Root, Spriulina
oils-thieves, lemon, oregano, melaluca, carrier oil

Lower Cholesterol- cinnamon, hawthorn
oils-lemongrass clove, omega gize, and ning xia red


This is just a start, I am sure many of you have other remedies, that work for you and your family. Please share. I would love to hear what works for you.