Getting it all done as a productive homekeeper is a balancing act between adhering to strict routines and complete, total, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants improvisation. Let me clarify. On the one hand, certain things absolutely require regular, seasonal attention. If the seeds are not planted in Spring, there will be no harvest in Summer. If the dinner dishes…
Productive Home
DIY Whipped Peppermint Foot Cream
At the risk of oversharing someone else’s podiatry problems, by husband has some janked up heels. They’re super dry and they get these deep cracks in them, especially in winter. (Sorry, sweetie.) This Whipped Peppermint Foot Cream was developed for super dry feet like my husband’s. The addition of peppermint essential oil gives the cream a…
7 Questions Corporate America Has About Homesteading
So I have a bit of a reputation at the office. I’m the guy with the chickens. In fact, I run a whole informal and probably utterly HR-policy-violating side hustle of bringing some of our excess eggs into the office and selling them. Given that my manager and my manager’s manager are among my customers,…
Muscle-Soothing Eucalyptus Bath Soak
On Monday a super nice lady from Seattle Magazine came over to photograph me in my garden. This is all part of La Grande Promotion for my new book. So, I did what any gardener faced with the prospect of a professional photographer in their yard would do – I spent all weekend trying to hide…
How To Make All Natural Beeswax Lip Balm
Give me 90 seconds and I’ll teach you how to make your own all-natural lip balm. This recipe comes from my new book, The Hands-On Home. and is great for chapped lips, holiday gifts and more. If you need a cost-effective stocking stuffer or appreciation gift for the upcoming holiday season, I highly recommend getting a bunch of empty…
Serendipity Days
Living life is a bit like climbing a giant mature oak tree. We start at the base of the tree, and the entire canopy is spread out above us. Every path is open. As we climb higher, some options shut behind us. Take the left branch and you cannot take the right branch. Oh sure, sometimes you…
{Giveaway} reCAP Mason Jar Accesories Variety Pack
Once upon a time, long, long ago, a new-ish blogger with more mason jars than readers heard about an amazing thing called a Kickstarter. A Kickstarter, the blogger learned, was a way for individual people to directly support entrepreneurs with really awesome ideas. The very first Kickstarter the blogger ever heard about was for a brand…
DIY Sunburn Soothing Comfrey Cubes
When I was nine, my parents took my younger sister and me to Disneyland. It was the kind of vacation every little girl dreams of – Main Street Parade, Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, pictures with Minnie Mouse, and a teeth-rotting amount of cotton candy. I know, because there is visual proof of all these activities, carefully…
A Year Under The Sun: Solar Review
We just passed the one year anniversary of our solar power system going live. How do things look after a full year? Pretty good. First some numbers, then let’s talk about how we got there. When A&R Solar installed our system, they estimated it would produce 5,200 kWh of electricity per year. Based on past usage, that…
What I Believe
I believe at the end of the day you need family, fresh vegetables, a long walk and something you’re working towards to be satisfied. I believe we are in control of far, far more than we typically act on, and far, far less than we typically worry about. I believe that rats in a cage…
The Life Changing Magic of Folding Socks
On of the great joys of my recent Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up experience was learning how to fold socks. Yes, I know what you are thinking: “What a sad life that chick must have if folding socks bring her joy.” But just wait! When you see how I fold my socks now, you might become a happy-sock-folding…
Every Natural Living Blog Post You’ve Ever Read
87 ways to remineralize your teeth. Oil pulling! Toxins! Oil Pulling For Toxins! Is sitting the new smoking? Herbal remedies for sitting THEY don’t want you to know about. Scientists discover the shocking reason why the Masai never get frostbite. The 92 items to NEVER eat at a salad bar if you want to correct…