Monday, January 2, 2012
Follow me!!
I have started a new Facebook page for my blog! Follow me at Homesteading Mom! I have not quite figured out how to put the Facebook Like button on my blog yet but I'm working on it!
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Cheers to the New Year...
Well here it is, January 1st. The day where everyone wakes up with good intentions for the year ahead of them. Looking forward, I am very excited about what I have planned for my family. I could not have started the day off better today. I went to lunch with a good friend who is also sharing my homesteading vision. It is so nice to be able to talk freely about my ideas without getting weird looks. She has also been doing this longer than me, so she had some advice and resources I haven't found yet. She also is the proud owner of a farm. I'm incredibly jealous, as my new aspiration is to have a goat farm. I'm not exactly sure why this is though, I don't believe I have ever formally met a goat outside of a petting zoo.
It's time to figure out a game plan! I have started a binder where I am keeping some of my articles, tips and recipes. Organization is not my forte, but hey, its a new year right? Anything is possible. My collection of homesteading books is growing too! I have gotten some for Christmas and I bought three more today.
The biggest piece of advice that I have gotten is to start small. Sometimes when you have big dreams, you start off strong but then get overwhelmed. I have decided that I will make monthly goals to learn a new skill. This months skill is knitting! I have gotten some knitting needles and yarn from my grandmother, as well as a Knitting for Dummies booklet and several knitting magazines circa 1980s. Tonight since the kids were gone, I decided that I would try it. After some practice and a few obscenities, I actually learned to knit! Not quite a knitting expert yet, however I see many scarves and hats for Christmas presents this year. And maybe a nice 1983 sweater vest for the boyfriend. I think he would like that :)
In my last post, I channeled my inner old man and was complaining about the cost of Miracle Whip. I have found the answer!!! Well actually I found the recipe online! So instead of spending $6.00 on a jar I will just make my own. This got me thinking, what else can I make that would save money at the grocery store? With two young kids, we go through tons of ketchup and chocolate syrup. I found recipes for those too. All of the recipes contain ingredients that I have in my kitchen at most times. Since we already have some left in the fridge, I will just wait until we use the last of it and reuse the store bought containers. I am also thinking that next months goal will be bread making...
Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the monotony of daily life and not realize what you have around you. While I was off work with my kids for Christmas break, I got a chance to slow down and think. Sitting in front of my Christmas tree on Christmas Eve, I was suddenly hit with the amazing reality that I have everything I have hoped for in my life. My kids are finally happy. We have had some rough times in the last three years with the divorce from their dad. I have a wonderful, supportive partner who I am absolutely in love with. We took a big step this year and moved in together. Finally, I have a home. In the years after high school, I moved many times and always felt like my living arrangements were temporary. I now have a house where I can plant my roots and start making new memories. 2011 was pretty good to us, but I cannot wait to see what 2012 has in store.
It's time to figure out a game plan! I have started a binder where I am keeping some of my articles, tips and recipes. Organization is not my forte, but hey, its a new year right? Anything is possible. My collection of homesteading books is growing too! I have gotten some for Christmas and I bought three more today.
The biggest piece of advice that I have gotten is to start small. Sometimes when you have big dreams, you start off strong but then get overwhelmed. I have decided that I will make monthly goals to learn a new skill. This months skill is knitting! I have gotten some knitting needles and yarn from my grandmother, as well as a Knitting for Dummies booklet and several knitting magazines circa 1980s. Tonight since the kids were gone, I decided that I would try it. After some practice and a few obscenities, I actually learned to knit! Not quite a knitting expert yet, however I see many scarves and hats for Christmas presents this year. And maybe a nice 1983 sweater vest for the boyfriend. I think he would like that :)
In my last post, I channeled my inner old man and was complaining about the cost of Miracle Whip. I have found the answer!!! Well actually I found the recipe online! So instead of spending $6.00 on a jar I will just make my own. This got me thinking, what else can I make that would save money at the grocery store? With two young kids, we go through tons of ketchup and chocolate syrup. I found recipes for those too. All of the recipes contain ingredients that I have in my kitchen at most times. Since we already have some left in the fridge, I will just wait until we use the last of it and reuse the store bought containers. I am also thinking that next months goal will be bread making...
Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the monotony of daily life and not realize what you have around you. While I was off work with my kids for Christmas break, I got a chance to slow down and think. Sitting in front of my Christmas tree on Christmas Eve, I was suddenly hit with the amazing reality that I have everything I have hoped for in my life. My kids are finally happy. We have had some rough times in the last three years with the divorce from their dad. I have a wonderful, supportive partner who I am absolutely in love with. We took a big step this year and moved in together. Finally, I have a home. In the years after high school, I moved many times and always felt like my living arrangements were temporary. I now have a house where I can plant my roots and start making new memories. 2011 was pretty good to us, but I cannot wait to see what 2012 has in store.
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