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Homesteading Update: Winter Doldrums & Garden Dreams

2/1/2015

"All through the morning, they lay in their beds,
While visions of chicken coops danced in their heads...."

Winter on the "back 40."

It's only the beginning of February, so it's too early for spring fever, right?? In Central Ohio, we still have at least 2 full months of winter left, but we can't wait for spring! Being in a new home, with acres of farmland lying fallow, and nothing but dreams to sustain us through these cold, snowy months, we are already getting a bit stir-crazy.

I try to console myself by making lists of seed packets, drawing out garden beds in my garden planner, and fantasizing about canning tomatoes and making jam, but it's not much of a consolation prize. I've already planned out exactly what will be planted in each of the 20 bales in our hay-bale garden, as well as another garden patch made with more traditional dirt beds. I've also listed out which seeds need to be started indoors, and when (I still have 2 months before it's time for that), when everything else needs to be planted outside, and where the herbs and flowers will be planted. Seed catalog dreams can only take you so far. At some point you just want to get outdoors!

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A Free Tool To Help You Achieve Work/Life Balance In 2015

1/18/2015

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Although most of us start off the year with the best of intentions - to eat better, exercise more, save more money, balance our spending, take better care of our relationships, etc., etc. - those great intentions all-too-often fall by the wayside within just a few months. I shared a few tips with you a couple of weeks ago on how to stay on track with your goals this year, and keep those New Year's Resolutions for once, but I wanted to follow up with a really cool tool that I found to help you do just this.

While this tool was actually designed to be used by business owners, financial advisors, and the like, you can still get a lot of value from using this tool, even if you're an employee, like me. This unique, color-coded calendaring system can help you balance all aspects of your life, and achieve the work/life balance that you have been seeking - plus it's really fun!

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This New Year, I Resolve To...

1/4/2015

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Well, here we are in January already - the New Year has begun! What are your goals for this year? Do you set New Year's Resolutions, or go by some other formula to set out your annual plan?

Personally, I prefer goals to "resolutions" - perhaps because, as I was reading in an article earlier this week, resolutions usually seem rather vague, which is probably why so many fail to keep them. I find the more specific a goal is, the better chance I have of accomplishing it. So I've been hard at work over the past few weeks, designing plans for my 2015 - and will continue to do so for the next several weeks as I get things in order.

I thought I'd share a few of my goals with you in today's post, as well as some tips for successfully setting (and keeping) your own goals for the year....

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Giving Thanks For The Blessings Of 2014

11/23/2014

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This week, in honor of the season, I thought I'd get a little personal and share some of the things I am thankful for this year! After all, those who have studied success, spirituality, or well-being know that gratitude is one of the most powerful forces for good in the world, with many amazing benefits for those who practice it.

From simple peace of mind and a positive outlook, to humility, improved relationships, and possibly even the ability to attract more good things into your life, gratitude can improve your life in a multitude of ways. And people have been realizing these benefits for centuries; the power of gratitude is explored in works as old as the Bible, all the way up to modern best-sellers such as Think & Grow Rich, The Attractor Factor, and many more.

I think it's just wonderful that we have a holiday devoted to it!

It's been an amazing year for me, and here are just a few of the things I'm thankful for. Please also feel free to share your own stories of gratitude with us in the comments section below!

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With Great Responsibility Comes Great Power

11/9/2014

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Last week I discussed an article which disturbed me with its assumptions regarding success, health, and general well-being. If you haven't read it yet, be sure to check out last week's blog post for the first two points - you won't want to miss those, especially if you are, or have been, having financial difficulties!

This week, I've got one final point for you, as well as the answer to taking back control of your life and health. This third assumption may affect you regardless of your income, and it can have a very harmful effect on your future health!

Assumption #3. Other People (e.g. Doctors, Therapists, etc.) Are Responsible for Your Health & Well-Being

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The Power to Change Your Life (& Health): Self Improvement IS Free

11/2/2014

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I recently read an article by a woman who implored others to be more forgiving and less judgmental towards "the poor," who have little resources and therefore have a difficult time bettering their lot in life. This woman listed a litany of unfortunate things that had befallen her, as well as a number of reasons why her lack of money prevented her from having the opportunities that those who are better off have access to - such as physical and mental health care.

The first thing that struck me about this article was actually my negative reaction to it. Despite the many Facebook comments commiserating with the woman, I found myself quite indignant at some of her assumptions. (Upon further reflection, I found this rather interesting, considering that I was in a position not that much different from her just a few years ago, and I realized just how much my mindset has changed in that short time period!)

If you are in a similar position to this woman, I hope you will take these observations to heart, and realize that YOU have the power to change your circumstances if you don't like where you're at!

Here are several assumptions that may be keeping you stuck feeling like you're one of the "have-nots" - and what you can do about it:

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Homesteading Update: Raspberries & Frugality

10/26/2014

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Salvaged brick flowerbed border.

This weekend being one of the most beautiful weekends this beautiful autumn has provided, my husband and I decided to knock out some outdoor projects on our little homestead. Progress has been limited by our lack of funds so far, until we sell the other house, so unfortunately we have been unable to install our geothermal system this fall as planned, and we will have to suck it up and make it through a long Ohio winter with a 30-year-old fuel oil furnace, and a propane fireplace. (We intend to replace the fireplace with a wood-burning stove, but this will be a rather involved project which will include cutting a large hole through the wall, which we would prefer not to undertake so close to winter.) So, our winter may be chilly, but we are still newly-weds, so we will cuddle up and make do! :-)

So we are learning what all new homesteaders have to learn early on: how to get creative and use existing resources to accomplish our goals while spending little money. My two outdoor projects this weekend were a perfect case-in-point. As we are hosting a Halloween party next weekend, my main goal this week is to get some things cleaned up outside. The previous owner left quite a few piles of junk in the yard, mostly covered with leaves and overgrown with weeds. Most of it is turning out to be broken furniture, wood, and tree branches, along with a few tires, wooden pallets, etc. But among the trash, a frugal mind can often find treasure, and so we did.

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Our Homesteading Adventure: Part 1

10/5/2014

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Our new home on 5 acres.

I didn't have much time to work on a big blog post for you today, but I thought it might be fun this week to share some pictures of our new home, and some of our plans for the future! Ever since my childhood on a farm in the Ozark mountains, a part of me has always longed for my farm-girl roots. No matter how large a city I have lived in (Houston, TX), or how nice a suburb (Dublin, OH), and how long I stayed there, it just never quite felt like home.

That's why I'm so excited to finally have a house and land of my own! My husband and I recently purchased an old home on 5 acres of beautiful farmland, and now comes the challenging part: figuring out what we want to do with it!

If you've been reading our Green Living blog lately, we've been doing a series on homesteading, and I guess that is as good a word to describe it as any. We aren't trying to be large-scale farmers. I don't know that we will ever even try in any way to make a living off the land.

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Connecting With The Dirt

9/28/2014

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"You know you came from it...and someday you'll return to it."
"Dirt" -- Florida Georgia Line

In our overly sanitized, sterilized, anti-bacterial-focused modern world, it seems that one of the things humans most fear is dirt. And it is no wonder, as for many years of early civilization, diseases were closely linked to hygiene, and cleanliness (or the lack thereof) was often to blame for the spread of many dangerous illnesses. So indeed, we have come a long way. But we must not forget that dirt is also a necessary part of life. and in fact, none of us would be alive today without the life-giving properties of good soil.

Growing up on a farm, this is something that is pretty obvious to me, but for those who did not have the close connection that I had with the earth beneath my feet, it may not be your first thought when you think of food. But whether you are vegan, omnivorous, or some other label you give yourself - no matter what your diet is like - everything that you eat at one time, in some form, came from the soil.

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Why Convenience Costs You More Than Just Money

8/17/2014

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I read an interesting article the other day about how much the "convenience premium" really costs you when buying convenience foods. Most people don't think about the fact that they pay a premium for foods that are partially prepared for them. When considering the things you can do to save money, buying whole foods and preparing them yourself is quite a bit cheaper. Is it really worth it to buy pre-cut vegetables, when you can easily chop them yourself in just a few minutes?

As the author points out, you might save 2 minutes by not chopping your own onions, but you also had to work extra to pay for the convenience of having the onions pre-chopped - which means more time at work, and less time with your family, friends, or just relaxing and taking care of yourself. So how much did you really save?
While it may just seem like a few dollars here and there, it certainly adds up over time - especially with the amount of "convenience" foods that so many families buy on a regular basis.

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