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Build Your Own Grow Shelf!

Oh my gosh. I can FINALLY do a post on gardening.

Growing my own food is a huge passion of mine (albeit a somewhat recent one), but y’know…it’s been winter.

My grow shelf!

There is no gardening in the winter.

Well, unless you count “pick up fallen tree limbs from the ice storm(s)” as gardening. Which I don’t.

However, this year I DID start a semi-winter gardening project that I FINALLY get to share because…y’know, it’s working so far and there’s something to show to the Internet besides some bare dirt.

I decided to make a grow shelf. Continue reading “Build Your Own Grow Shelf!”

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10 Uses for Ice Cube Trays

Nowadays, it seems like most people have ice makers in their fridge, with no need for those old, plastic (or silicone) ice cube trays. But if you still have some old trays, don’t throw them out and contribute to landfill waste! Use them instead!

A Note On Sustainability

If you decide you want to use ice cube trays for some of the reasons listed below, but don’t actually have any ice cube trays, I’d STRONGLY recommend buying silicone ones instead of plastic ones. Silicone is very plentiful (unlike the fossil fuels used to make plastic) and can be recycled. It’s also a healthier choice, since it can’t leach toxins into the food the way that plastic can. Since ice cube trays are kept cold, there is a very minimal toxin risk, but if you’re buying new, it’s better to be safe than sorry. That being said, if you don’t have the budget for silicone trays, at least buy plastic ones used – at a garage sale or thrift store. You’ll save money and prevent waste.

Ten Uses For Ice Cube Trays

Continue reading “10 Uses for Ice Cube Trays”

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DIY Cleaning Solutions – Toilets

Frugality has always been a big part of my life. I like to buy things used when I can, and I hate spending money on consumables. My family has some pretty ambitious homesteading goals that require us to save up as much money as we can, and it’s pretty bad for the environment to waste stuff – especially plastics. On top of that, I try to keep my home as chemical-free as possible, because chemicals are bad for you. I learned a whole bunch of tips and tricks from my mom, and more on my own as an adult, and I thought I’d share a few of them here.

Why Make DIY Toilet Cleaner?

Of all the parts of my house, my toilet is probably the thing I am most anal about cleaning because it’s where you poop. Guys, poop is gross. Like, actually gross with icky bacteria and stuff.

Heh. ANAL about keeping clean. POOP.

I’m funny.

Anyyyywwayyyy……. Continue reading “DIY Cleaning Solutions – Toilets”

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Meet My (Fur) Babies & Check Out our DIY Scratching Post

Somebody drew attention to the fact that I have a cat picture on the homepage of my blog, and have shared cat pictures in my previous post (a meatloaf recipe), but never explained or introduced my cats to you guys.

So here goes.

Prepare for a fun post about cats, and little tutorial for a making a scratching post (since I didn’t want to give you guys a completely impractical post). It doesn’t really have anything to do homesteading…

Well, actually I think cats have a lot to do with “home” part of homesteading, but that’s just me. Continue reading “Meet My (Fur) Babies & Check Out our DIY Scratching Post”

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How I Save Money on My Grocery Bill

I advised y’all to buy expensive oils to avoid vegetable oil, and when you saw the inside of my pantry you might and figured out that I like to spend money on food. But this blog is supposed to contain some tips on how to save money, right?

Right.

So here’s a few, super basic ones. I’ll get into some specifics later, when I focus on how to buy healthy spices, oils, meat, and more. Continue reading “How I Save Money on My Grocery Bill”

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Pastured Eggs – Practical Considerations

So you read all about why I think it’s worth buying pastured eggs. You want to give it a try. Where do you find these magic eggs? How do you buy pastured eggs?

Buy Local.

Buying eggs from a local farmer (or hobby farmer!) is by far the best way to go if you’re trying to get pastured eggs. This will save you money, and allow you to investigate the conditions of the hen houses yourself. My parents retired in the country, and I buy most of my eggs from a woman who lives down the street from them. Her eggs are only $2.50/dozen, and I buy 4 dozen at a time (eggs keep for a very long time in the fridge). Signs for pastured eggs are all over in rural areas, and the prices where my parents live range from about $2-$4/dozen.

Of course, I don’t want to drive an hour every time I need eggs. I supplement my eggs with partially pasture raised eggs that are only $2.50/dozen from a house that is literally down the street from me. For some odd reason, a few of the lots in my city are still zoned for agriculture (though most are not), and one of my neighbors raises chickens as a hobby. These chickens are fed corn and kept inside, but he lets them out in his yard every day to graze and treats them well. I figure these eggs might not have as many nutritional benefits as true pastured eggs, but they still taste better (and are probably a little better) than conventional eggs. Continue reading “Pastured Eggs – Practical Considerations”