Live Your Homesteading Dreams Today

There is a post floating around from GNOWFLINGS about the heart of homesteading. This article really spoke to me because it's exactly the mentality that we have adopted. We don't have any semblance of a traditional homestead around here. We live in a big city, in a multi-family house, and share a backyard with other families. We can't plant outdoors, and we have no animals. But we have a homestead none the less!

It's not about all those things. I mean I guess it is in a way, but if you don't have them it doesn't mean you can't start to build with what you've got. In this post I want to just share with you some of the things that we do around our homestead to help us prepare for living out our dreams, while we enjoy where we are.

1.) We cook from scratch. I do my very best to make as many wholesome home cooked meals as possible. We do occasionally order Chinese or something but it is a rare treat and it's become even more of a rarity as of late. I'm also attempting to learn to cook in season.

2.) We take the time to ferment anything that we can. We do this for a few reasons, but the main one is that it's healthy for us. I'm teaching my children now about how to make sour dough, ferment vegetables, and  make kombucha. We are also in the process of learning how to ferment fruits and fruit juices. It can be time consuming but it's totally worth it for the health benefits and the memory building. The reason this is on the homesteading list is because this is a great method for preserving certain foods. One of our favorites is fermented carrots.

3.) We learn about animals and any other skills that go along with having them. This is so we can learn as much as we can now and be ready when the time comes. We've been reading what ever we can get our hands on, and watching videos on youtube about the animals we are most interested in. Which are chickens and goats. At first Farmer-man thought I was losing it, but now he's seeing the value (and cuteness) of goats. Recently I tried to make cheese from goat milk. It was an epic failure but hey, at least I tried!

4.) We limit tv time. If we lived out in the country I would hope that my kids spent their days running around out side. But just because we don't it's not an excuse to spend all day in front of the tv. We don't have cable but we do have netflix, and hulu. We're in the process of deciding which to get rid of. Because we really don't need both if we aren't watching much tv anyway.

5.) We're learning that it's ok to get dirty. Now this one may be more for me than anyone else but I get a little anxious when my kids have dirt on them. But I'm learning that it's not only ok, it's good for them. It's so important for kids to play outside and to dig in the dirt. In the past I would have been content for my kids to sit on the couch dressed all pretty and just smile lol. But not anymore. Now I encourage them to play and dig and get dirty if they so please.

6.) We decorate with some "farm house" flare. Now this is something we're still working on. But one of my favorite things is my mason jar soap dispenser! I hate washing dishes by hand but getting soap from my mason jar makes it slightly more enjoyable! Oh any my cast iron skillet! Love that thing. Call me crazy but sometimes we just need to have the little things around to keep us happy. :o) (check out our pinterest board for some more examples of indoor farmy things)

7.) I wear an apron! Ok now this may seem like nothing, but let me tell you it totally helps me to get into a working mindset. I'm not talking any ol' apron though it needs to be one that makes YOU feel really "farmy". Mine is denim and has some eyelet fabric along the topsides. It's perfect for me. Don't under estimate the power of an apron ;o)

8.) We try to buy locally. When we can, we buy things that have been grown locally because it helps us with eating in season and also helps us to stay connected to the land. Getting our foods from the source is a real blessing, it allows us to ask questions and learn even more about farming. Of course, if you can have a garden then get to planting


This post was shared on: Homestead Barn Hop, Farmgirl Friday, From the Farm, The HomeAcre Hop, Simple Life Sunday