Have you been thinking about incorporating clean, real eating into your diet? Making a birthday present for your best friend, but do not know where to start? Every journey really does begin with that single step and it also requires your intention to change your current cycle and habits towards a new one. I'm pretty sure no one ever woke up in their Frete sheets and thought you know, today is the day, I'm going to toss all my luxury away and go be Laura Ingalls and live off the land. I find myself examining my decisions regularly and making small adjustments towards a self-sufficient lifestyle. Not everything can be changed over night and we've been conditioned to comforts that reduce our stress in certain areas. Here are 5 small steps to start you on your journey to becoming a homesteader:
1 - Eat and Buy Local - My husband is never going to allow me to have chickens where we live right now, so I've adjusted my expectations of how to have fresh, local eggs on a regular basis. I sought out a woman in town whose husband tolerates her love for her chickens and buy eggs from her. My kids come along to see the ladies and we all have a great time chatting about who pecked who this week....and then walk away with our fresh dozen. Less stress, more local goodness.
2 - Make Your Own Food - May sound simple and straight forward, but there are so many options for pre-packed/made food that many people have lost the tradition of making food as a family. With work schedules being hectic and kids schedules dominating so many homes (not mine!), there leaves little time in the evening to prepare foods together. If you find yourself in this situation, take some time on the weekends to make a large batch of food for the next few days. It will help relieve your stress and leave you with many good meals that can just be warmed up. More posts on my batch cooking & short cuts to come soon!
3 - Grow Food - Herbs and Garlic are easy ways to start growing your own food. Adding fresh herbs into any meal will give you some extra nutrients and extra yummy goodness. In the spring/summer time, look for ideas of container gardening or use an Earth Box to get started. These containers are my favorite as they provide the right blend of soil, fertilizer and a cover to allow maximum growth for your veggies. The color of the container can blend into your porch or deck making your veggies a nice vegetation addition!
4 - Mason Jars - Enough said. I love them so much, it could be seen as an obsession. I'm not sure if it is because of the hours and hours of Little House on the Prairie I watched as a child, but I can never have enough. I check out yard sales both online and physical to add to my collection and enjoy them for everything from a morning cup of coffee, storing rice, beans and popcorn kernels, to my evening glass of wine. They are so useful and look so good.
5 - Read, read, read! Here are a few books that I read to help me get started on my homesteading journey:
5.1 - One more...Learn/Find a Craft to Make - Find something that you enjoy making from scratch and start doing it! I enjoy crocheting....but realized knitting is not for me. Try a few things and do not settle. If what you are working on does not put you into that meditative state in which you lose track of time, then it is not for you. I also enjoy sewing freestyle...but not from a pattern. I love being creative and not following directions. When making with my hands, I listen to my inner self for guidance and use that as my guiding light.
Each day is a new opportunity to integrate small changes (adjustments) into your life (practice)...it is kind of like yoga. Accept where you are today and go (GROW) from there!
xoxo
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