Living Life in Rural Iowa

This lifestyle isn't for everyone, but everyone can do it. I have found that out quickly. I feel like I am really just getting started after making several feeble attempts. I have to constantly remind myself that raising my own food is the best thing for myself and for myself. I have to remind myself to jump into it slowly so I don't overwhelm myself.



So I am giving you some tips on getting starting into the "From Scratch, Living Off The Land" lifestyle to help you. I know I needed a lot of help (and some days, still do) and I want to help you too.

1. Remember why you are doing this. For me, I want to raise my own food. I want to know where my food is coming from. I want to avoid processed foods and make my own food. I want to live off the land. I want to be self-sufficient. I want to be able to support my family and myself in the best possible way. I want my kids to know where their food is coming from.



2. Jump into this lifestyle slowly. Some people can jump in with …

Gotta love the holiday weekends! Is today Monday or was that yesterday....

Anywho, let's get this update started!

I got the green beans and beets planted tonight. Can't wait for those to get growing! The rest of my already-planted garden is looking fabulous. The summer squash and zucchini are up in the buckets and the lettuce/spinach are growing in the planters. The tomatoes and peppers are looking good and growing well. The onions have started coming up. The carrots are taking their sweet time. I still need to get potatoes and peas in as well as whatever else I decide to plant. I can change my mind again.

The blueberry bushes have new leaves on them which I am taking as a positive sign! Yeah! Trying to decide if I need to add more ammonia sulfate this fall again to make the ground more acidic.

I fixed Holly the dog's enclosure in the garage. We decided to make it smaller since she could (1) break out of there and did break out of there and (2) was just too big and be hard…

Garage sale season is here! With all the stuff in my house, I keep finding stuff to get rid of! I had a garage sale a few weekends ago and since this isn't my first garage sale, let me give you some tips!


1. Price to sell! The goal of the garage is to get rid of your stuff to someone who needs it more. Price your items to sell. Yes you want to make some extra money too, but I find that people will rarely pay more than a quarter of the price unless it is a high quality item. Then they might pay half-price. Do not expect full price for your used and barely used items. More than likely they will not sell. Also, offer to negotiate.

2. Have plenty of cash ready to go. I usually start with $80 worth of change. I like to have a $10 roll of quarters, $40 in ones, and $30 in fives. This seems to be sufficient to make change on almost anything.

3. Have a garage sale with a friend or many friends! The more stuff, the better the garage sale! Ask your friends if they would like to join you. Yo…

Every week is busy, but I find myself forgetting about what needs to get done or time slips right past me! For at least the Spring, Summer, and Fall, I will post what I want to get done weekly. These lists will seem a bit ambitious, but I like to aim high!

Glad I had my list, but what I got done was a bit different. My garden got tilled! So I planted about half of the garden and hope to get the rest done this week yet. The weather was gorgeous and we spent a lot of time outside. The chicken coop and run have been taking more time than planned! The yard work was mostly done by Paige and Dane which was awesome!

Last Week's Weekly Goals

Homesteading/Yard Chores
1. Finish cleaning up the yard and start on the grove
2. Help Rob clean up the three trees that fell last winter and spring (We got two done!)
3. Use the kennel panels I got and make a chicken run
4. Fix the room in the barn for the chicks to go outside  (Rob put chicken wire on the ceiling to discourage bird nests, fixed the window …

I changed the title of this post. I figured for the next few months, it will be completely interchangeable and intertwined. I am trying to homestead as frugally as I can while still understanding it will take money sometimes. I will try to post weekly picture updates also so you can see how well I am doing and learn from my mistakes/failures.

I am also currently having trouble uploading pictures using just Internet Explorer. I will have to go back to using Google Chrome. Thank goodness downloading it will be free!

We have done all the usual to save money and be frugal. I downloaded some free books onto my Kindle. We received a lot of freebies in the mail this last few weeks including several coffee samples, a toothbrush, dental picks, a book, and smaller samples. I fixed Dane's stocking hat he loves to wear again.

I also made a huge batch of granola while Shali made two pans of apple crisp and two loaves of banana bread using up the plethora of apples and bananas we had been given. W…

Every week is busy, but I find myself forgetting about what needs to get done or time slips right past me! For at least the Spring, Summer, and Fall, I will post what I want to get done weekly. These lists will seem a bit ambitious, but I like to aim high!

This last week was totally turned upside down. The weather was not in my favor with several days of rain and storms. The baby chicks showed up five days early which prompted other things to get done first. Getting ready for the garage sale took up a lot of time. I also ended up home for the weekend which meant more stuff got done.

Last Week's Weekly Goals

Homesteading/Yard Chores
1. Trim tree by garage
2. Cut out or knock out wood board in garage. (It was actually a small door. I replaced the hinges and latches. Good as new!)
3. Clean out that side of the garage and move Holly the dog to the garage.
4. Pick up branches/Cut up bigger branches for firewood. (We got half of the house yard done and mowed. We have had a lot of branches…

Every week is busy, but I find myself forgetting about what needs to get done or time slips right past me! For at least the Spring, Summer, and Fall, I will post what I want to get done weekly. These lists will seem a bit ambitious, but I like to aim high!

A lot needs to get done this week. I want to go to Rob's house this week, but I think I better stay home and get most of this list accomplished. Or see what I can get done by Saturday morning. Sounds like a challenge!

Weekly Goals
Homesteading/Yard Chores
1. Trim tree by garage
2. Cut out or knock out wood board in garage.
3. Clean out that side of the garage and move Holly the dog to the garage.
4. Pick up branches/Cut up bigger branches for firewood

Gardening
1. Plant blueberries
2. Build a raised bed
3. Plant asparagus
4. Plant lettuce and spinach in oblong wooden containers
5. Clean out rhubarb
6. Clean out strawberries
7. Clean out raspberries and mulch

House
1. Get ready for garage sale and have garage sale
2. Clean the kitchen
…

Busy, busy, busy! But the weather is finally nice!

I can't wait to get my garden in! I need to pick up potatoes and onions this week and get some beds cleaned out. I have been waiting since the temps have been so cool and we have been getting a lot of rain. I also want to get my lettuce and spinach planted in my wooden planters this week. The peas need to be transplanted very, very soon!

I went to garage sales this week. I got a Browning 60# Compound Bow for $25 which I think is a steal. I hope to use it as well as have Dane grow into it. It will need to be dialed down a bit though, it is a bit tough to pull back. I also got a space heater for $3, several books for 25 and 50 cents, a grocery sack stuffed full of clothes for the girls for $3.75, a Wii Draw board and game for $10 to replace the one that got chewed up by the dog, a duffle bag for Rob for $1, a motion sensor outdoor light for $4, a shirt for me for $1, Stars Wars sheet music for the piano for $1, an immersion stick bl…

I have several hats I like to wear: Gardener, Homesteader, Prepper, Cook, Writer, Seller, Coordinator, Experimenter, Reader, Crafter, Hobbyist, Nature Lover, Natural Lifer, Deal Finder, Tightwad, etc.

I have several roles that I try to fulfill in my life: Mom, Girlfriend, Friend, Daughter, Granddaughter, Niece, Cousin, and Acquaintance.

What do you do when the people in your life do not support you and the hats you like to wear? What do you do you have no encouragement to pursue your dreams in life? What do you do when you get mocked and teased for living the life you love?

I have struggled with this for awhile. Last summer, much of it came to a head for me. I became very disgusted with the lack of support in my life to pursue my passions. I had great friends who supported me all the way and I had friends/family who supported me in some ways, but not all. Then I had people who did not support me at all.

Granted, their arguments were valid. I was creating too much work for myself. …