Living Life in Rural Iowa

Why not write the March Update From The Homestead on the last day of the month? At least it is in March! That has been how fast this month has gone and I really haven't had a lot to talk about.  I put off the writing of this because almost nothing has happened in the month of March on the homestead. The weather has been snow, wet, rain, wet, a few days of sun, and more days of clouds. And that is what I can remember... I am looking at plans for the chicken coop. We are probably getting twenty layers this Spring. I think I have it narrowed down to what I want to built and still stay simple, but we do have to built it first. We will use what we have on hand, but I know we will have to buy materials. I know the coop will have to be more practical than cute which suits me fine. Do you have a coop design you love? Share a picture or a link to what coop you like! I have been planning my garden too. I will probably put the garlic in a long planters or along the very edge of the g

I have a renewed interest in prepping. But, Erica, I thought you were a prepper! I was. I still am. But, for the last four months or so, I quit actively prepping. I did talk about it in one of my YouTube videos , but I was trying to figure out what exactly I needed to do. I didn't know what exactly to stockpile anymore. I didn't know which direction to take. I didn't know how exactly to take care of my family near and far.  That happens. Preppers sometimes need a break. They lose interest a little bit. They get burned out. Family and job situations change. They need to reassess their situation. They move to a different area. The reasons are usually personal. Sometimes those reasons aren't always personal. They look at the big picture and feel some security in the world. They thought there might be a war or crisis in their area or country and now the threat is gone. They liked the people in power and felt comfortable with the direction of the country.

We all like to think we are straight shooters. We are pretty honest with ourselves and with others. However, being humans, we all have the ability to put our heads in the sand. We don't want to see when something bad is going to happen. We don't want to recognize the signs that trouble is on the way. We don't always want to take precautions to prevent problems. Why is this? Because the biggest lie we tell ourselves: That will never happen to me (us).  Most of us say this at one time or another. I know I have. We then find out we were wrong. Bad things will happen to us. That is just a universal truth. It doesn't matter if you are a prepper or not. It doesn't matter if you are rich or poor. Bad things will happen, but how you handle it will be your doing. For preppers, we like to think we know what is going to happen to us. We know what natural disasters could hit us, what catastrophic events could happen, and what everyday life events could rearrange our

Many people have things they carry with them every day. Also known as everyday carry, we all have items that we carry on a key ring, in our pockets, on our belts, and/or in a holster. These are items we couldn't live without or wouldn't want to be without in case of an emergency or a situation.  One of things I carry on my key ring which I carry in my jean pocket is a whistle . This is absolutely one item I wouldn't want to be without. I work in a place where we can not carry a weapon although our customers can. While this can be a problem (but never has been), a whistle can help me in a few ways.  Blowing a whistle while in distress can alert co-workers that there is a problem. A loud, repeating whistle generally will get their attention or a customer's attention that I need help in some way. Whether I am inside or outside the building, I will almost guarantee to get someone's attention to get help. Yelling can work, but a whistle is usually louder and s

March is a fun time of the year! You never know what kind of weather you will have, if Spring will actually come in March, and if Winter will ever end. Below, I have a few things you can do this month to keep the winter doldrums at bay and make the time go quicker! Five Prepping Things To Accomplish in March: 1. Buy plastic and plywood for your windows in your house. We recently had a hailstorm near us that caused a lot of damage. Many homeowners had broken windows from golf ball sized hail. Having a some plastic to put over your windows will keep your home protected from the elements until someone can come and fix it. Also keeping a roll of black plastic will be handy in case you need to black out your windows for any reason. Plywood is another good way of covering up your windows if they break or have the potential to break in a bad storm. 2. Make your evacuation plans. While winter is still here for another month or two, the fun Spring and Summer weather is coming. Tornado

I have a new video on YouTube today talking about prepping and decluttering. While the two things seem like they might be in conflict with each other, I talk about the process we are going through.  Some things I will never get rid and I talk about those. Some things are not worth holding on to and are taking up valuable space. What you keep and what you get rid of is a personal decision, keeping too much can cause problems in times of crisis and even bugging out.  Let me know what you think in the comments! Thanks, Erica