Coming into cold season I do all that I can to prep my families immune systems for the inevitable wave of sicknesses that come with temps dropping and school germs. One of my favorite ways is by incorporating and putting an emphasis on foods that naturally support our health overall like this vibrant and delicious …
Homesteading
Our goal this year for the garden was to try and use as much as we possibly could during harvest for our families consumption and use! Trying to think outside of the box and use, freeze, process and can as much of the plants and herbs that we could! Harvesting and roasting fresh sunflower seeds …
This past week I made some fresh roasted tomato and herb sauce that you may can or freeze! This recipe is easy and absolutely delicious and only calls for a couple of minor adjustments if you plan to can it! I chose to freeze this first batch so that we have a quick pull out …
Are you searching for a foolproof method for hard boiling farm fresh eggs? Look no further – I’ve got you covered. Honestly though, getting that perfect hard boiled and easy peel egg can be a bit challenging. Then add in another challenge and try it on farm fresh eggs! Yikes! I didn’t even know that …
Love mint, but hate paying the ridiculous prices for it at the store? Grow your own instead and learn how to dehydrate mint for tons of different uses below… Growing mint of any kind is not a difficult gardening task. Honestly, it’s probably one of the best things to start with if you’re just getting …
Hello – I hope you’ve had an awesome week! Today, I’m sharing an updated version of one of your favorites – How to Grow Strawberries in a Pot. If you are you a strawberry lover that is sick and tired of the high prices and highly used chemicals on the sweet fruit at the grocery …
Need to protect your seedlings from the cool nighttime air? Make your own miniature greenhouse for free in just minutes! We have this old carport frame that I’ve been wanting to turn into a greenhouse. I’m hoping we’ll be able to get it done this summer so that it will be ready for use next …
This week we have been finalizing our plans to expand – homestead edition. It is extremely exciting, to say the least. I cannot wait to see what these plans bring to our property, home and table. The expansion is happening in several different areas of our homestead. It will help us in being more self …
Spring served us summer – for a minute, recently. It got into the 80’s and even close to 90 one day. It was HOT! We soaked it up the best we could knowing all too well that Vermont was just showing off and we would be back in jackets and close toed shoes …
Over the last few years of our family expanding, we have continued to grow our homestead to provide. Not only are we providing homegrown nutrition to our children through this but also valuable life lessons and education. With the main focus on homeschool through homesteading they are going to one day have the knowledge to …
I mentioned in articles past that we were expanding the homestead this year. One of the ways that we were going to do that was by adding in more raised beds and revamping our existing ones to be be larger and newer! Since then, we have been hard at work! So I thought what better …
This wet and humid Summer here in Vermont has given us the difficult task of dealing with common garden issues. My garden itself is battling some hardships so I thought I would go over some of the ways I am naturally treating garden diseases. We try to grow as organically as possible so when troubles …
We finally did our first harvest out of our new garden beds! I had been eagerly awaiting this day. By now, usually I have had a couple mini harvests. This growing season has been vastly different than any I have seen since beginning my gardening journeys. It has been an extremely wet Summer. With that, …
Here on the homestead we have been busy at work with upgrades and expansions, tending to the garden and planning for the future. It has been some time since I updated you on how things were happening here. Our raised beds are doing well, mostly. I am struggling with my cauliflower and broccoli and we …
We were full of Sunday blessings on the homestead this weekend. Spending the day celebrating family, togetherness and surrounded by simple things that bring us gratefulness! These Sundays always seem to be the most valuable of our time together as a family. We allow ourselves time to slow down, talk more, do things that bring …
Our family took a big step this year and that was to pull our girls out of public school! With much to consider we felt like it was the best decision at this time for our children and family as a whole. The start to our homeschooling journey has been wonderful. We have focused on …
Do you have an abundance of cucumbers and zucchini from the end of year harvest? I know that I always end up with way more than I know what to do with. So this article is ALL about pickles! What better way to celebrate a pickling party than to give you an article with all …
Going into the new year can sometimes give us the notion that we have to come up with a long list of unrealistic resolutions. One of the most common is getting healthier…fast! Folks will come up with a number for the scale as a goal or dive into some extreme weight loss program and diet. …
I mentioned in a previous article that here on the Whalen homestead we have started our homeschooling journey! After much research we decided on The Good and the Beautiful for our curriculum. Today I wanted to give you an insider’s review from a brand new homeschooling mama. This journey has been such a beautiful one …
This year I made several DIY homemade goods gift baskets! Part of being self sufficient and homesteading is cutting down costs of giving. In the year past I would be wasteful in what I would spend for others during gift giving seasons or occasions. That is why when I started this journey I promised myself …
Hello lovely people! It has been a little since I came on to chat with all my friends and to give you a life update. Here on the homestead, we’ve entered the anxiously awaiting spring season. Where all things are planning ahead and embracing the last few months of staying warm and cozy inside. Somehow our …
Winter self care can often, unknowingly, be put on the back burner during the hustle of life. Do you work a full time job? Maybe two? Are you a parent trying to juggle yours and your child’s responsibilities? Have you packed your plate a little…too full? Do you think there isn’t enough time in the …
Do you love the flavor of ginger? Sprinkle it in as many dishes as you can? Did you know that it’s actually really good for you? Like REALLY good for you? Read below to learn how to use ginger to boost your health and make a ginger tincture at home! We love ginger around here …
Love looking around other people’s gardens? Do you enjoy going on garden tours? Come on in and take a mini garden tour with me… I love wandering through other people’s gardens. It’s so much fun to see what others plant, how they trellis their vines and what methods they use for growing. And I thought …
It’s hard to imagine picking my favorite herbal books for beginners. There are way too many useful resources out there for me to choose just one or two! So, today, I’m sharing my entire herbal library… But, before I do, I want to highly recommend that you buy physical, hard-copy books whenever possible. Especially when …
Things on the homestead have been less than desirable the last couple of weeks and I have doing my part in fighting children’s winter woes naturally. There has been more tissues, late night worries and cuddles then ever before. Having three kiddos on a rotation of sickness can be absolutely exhausting. My mama heart has …
Back in October 2022, the husband and I headed to Front Royal, Virginia for the Homesteaders of America Conference. If you’re not familiar with Homesteaders of America and you have interest in being more self-sufficient, I highly recommend you check them out! Not only do they host this massive conference each year, the offer a …
A week of kitchen & coop on the homestead is where our focus was! I spent the week with my hands pressed in flour this week. It was a wonderful slower week with downtime. My tiniest tot is starting to talk a bunch. She just hit a year and a half and we have been doing …
Looking for a homemade beard oil recipe that is bursting with beneficial properties? I might have just the one. This beard oil is packed with essential oils that have some really great qualities and purposes. It will take yours or the scruffy guy in your life’s facial hair to a level of divine perfection. My …
Having three little ones that all have my sensitive skin I have learned the ropes in what does or doesn’t work for us, all the while advocating for cleaner ingredient products for my family. Here is a wonderful list of my top 5 children’s store bought bathtime washes with clean ingredients…. There are SO many …