It is popular today to want to live a self-sufficient life style and get back to a more simple way of living. I know people who tell me that they wish they could purchase property out in the country and then they would start to live a self-sufficient life. Many say that they have so many things going on right now, they can't possibly do it. It turns into a 'someday' plan.
I have a different point of view about homesteading. I would also like to have some property out in the country so I can have chickens and a cow. (I will truly consider myself 'arrived' when I can have my own cow!) Right now I live on a small lot in a neighborhood that does not permit animal husbandry. Does that mean I shouldn't even try? Heavens, no! As I said, I have a different point of view about homesteading!
To me, homesteading is a frame of mind. It is approaching life from a self-sufficient, frugal point of view. It is a journey, not a destination, and you can do it no matter where you live. Start small and grow from there. Ideas like eating at home more often, growing some simple vegetables in a pot, or thinking of a way to reuse something instead of throwing it out will all start you on a homesteading journey.
Lehman's has a blog called Lehman's Country Life that I read every so often. Last week they ran a post on their blog called Homesteading Wherever You Live: Part I and Homestead Wherever You Live: Part II that gives lots of ideas on what you can do if you want to be a bit more self-sufficient.
Each year at our house, we challenge ourselves to live on less money then we did the year before. To make that happen, I have to get creative and find new ways to be frugal and self-sufficient. I can honestly tell you that having the attitude that I must '"use it up, wear it out, make do or do without" goes a long way towards living a homesteading life-style!
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Friday, March 8, 2013
Garden Update
The seeds are up! All the seedlings I have started so far are up and doing well. Here is a picture of one.
This is one of the vanilla marigolds. It is the prettiest marigold I have ever seen. It is a super light yellow color, almost an eggshell color. And it has a lovely carnation type scent! I also have all my herbs started, two different kinds of tomatoes, parsley, tobacco, and strawberries.
The weather here has not been very pleasant the last few weeks. So much so that I have not wanted to go outside to start the cool vegetable garden. Well, yesterday it turned for the better and I got lots of stuff planted: peas, carrots, onions, spinach, and broccoli.
As soon as something comes up, I will take a picture!
This is one of the vanilla marigolds. It is the prettiest marigold I have ever seen. It is a super light yellow color, almost an eggshell color. And it has a lovely carnation type scent! I also have all my herbs started, two different kinds of tomatoes, parsley, tobacco, and strawberries.
The weather here has not been very pleasant the last few weeks. So much so that I have not wanted to go outside to start the cool vegetable garden. Well, yesterday it turned for the better and I got lots of stuff planted: peas, carrots, onions, spinach, and broccoli.
As soon as something comes up, I will take a picture!
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Homemade Laundry Detergent Boosters
I love OxiClean. I use it every time I wash clothes. I have been buying it on sale and stocking up so I always have it. Well, lately it hasn't been on sale and I am noticing the price keeps going up. (Is it just me or is the price of everything going up faster and faster?) Well, I finally put my foot down and said "No more!" I will no longer purchase OxiClean. I am going to have to use something else or make my own.
That started my search for a homemade version. I have read about a few and decided to try the ones that sounded like they would work. I really wanted to use regular household items so I don't have to purchase any new ingredients and store a year's worth of something else. I have all these ingredients listed below in my food storage program now.
Let me also add that I don't use commercial laundry detergent. I make my own. You can too! Here is the recipe:
Homemade Laundry Detergent
1 bar Fels Napa soap, grated (I use my own homemade soap. You can see that recipe as part of the series Make Your Own Soap. Here is the link to Part I: Make Your Own Soap, Part I . The recipe for the laundry soap is listed in Part IV.
2 cups Washing Soda
2 cups Borax
I melt the soap in a few cups of boiling water and then add the washing soda and borax so it will dissolve. Place it all in an old liquid detergent laundry bottle and add warm water. Use the biggest bottle/tub you can find. I use one of the super big bottles that sits on its side and has the spout. If you don't have one of these, divide the concentrated recipe up among a couple of bottles, then add water. This makes a nice gel that dissolves well when you add the clothes.
Back to the stain removers, here's my research, results and comments:
Homemade OxiClean Recipe #1 (Overall Detergent Booster):
1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide
1/2 cup washing soda
Results:
I read that this recipe works best if the clothes are left to soak for a few hours. I decided to try it both ways: soaking and non-soaking. I used 2 loads of white clothes so I could compare to see if the soaking did any good. I only soaked for 30 minutes. The non-soaked clothes came out good, similar to when I add a scoop of OxiClean. The soaked clothes came out very bright! All I can say is WOW! I am impressed. I really didn't expect 1/2 cup of hydrogen peroxide in a full tub of water to do it, but it did! I also did a cost comparison on an ounce for ounce basis and the liquid hydrogen peroxide with washing soda is much, much cheaper than OxiClean.
I also want to mention that I have, and use on occasion, Mrs. Stewart's Liquid Bluing. This stuff has been around since 1883. It works great if you have a stain on whites that is set and won't come out. (Hanging the item in the sun to dry will also help to remove a set stain.) I don't use the bluing that often. My bottle is a few years old and I haven't even used half of it yet. I did not use it in the test washes.
Homemade OxiClean Recipe #2 (Pre-Treat Specific Stains):
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup vinegar
Results:
I use OxiClean gel to pre-treat oily stains on our clothes. I get lots of them on the t-shirts I wear around the house. (Teaspoons of fish oil are part of Molly's daily diet for her allergies and I usually end up squirting some on my shirts.) To make sure I was doing what I considered a 'fair' test, I treated one shirt with OxiClean gel, one shirt with Resolve spray and three shirts with the lemon/vinegar combo. Then I washed them together in the same load. These were fresh stains, I actually squirted the oil on the shirts so I could test this. I let the stain sit about 5 minutes. It took about 5 minutes to pull a new bottle of vinegar out of the storage closet, then I made the lemon/vinegar mix. So I guess all the stains sat about 10 minutes total before treating. I did not try this with 'old oil' stains because I didn't have any dirty t-shirts that were stained waiting to go into the wash. All the shirts came out clean. All of them! I rubbed the lemon/vinegar mix in a bit. I didn't use any other laundry booster, nor did I use a scoop of OxiClean powder. Just my homemade detergent and the pre-treated clothes. This is another surprise for me. I honestly didn't expect the oily stains to come out. I will no longer purchase OxiClean gel nor Resolve Pre-Treat! You can't find a cheaper stain fighter than lemon juice and vinegar!
I am very pleased with my results. And thrilled that I found a cheaper way to get my clothes clean!
Here are some other laundry ideas I found while researching. I haven't tried these yet:
That started my search for a homemade version. I have read about a few and decided to try the ones that sounded like they would work. I really wanted to use regular household items so I don't have to purchase any new ingredients and store a year's worth of something else. I have all these ingredients listed below in my food storage program now.
Let me also add that I don't use commercial laundry detergent. I make my own. You can too! Here is the recipe:
Homemade Laundry Detergent
1 bar Fels Napa soap, grated (I use my own homemade soap. You can see that recipe as part of the series Make Your Own Soap. Here is the link to Part I: Make Your Own Soap, Part I . The recipe for the laundry soap is listed in Part IV.
2 cups Washing Soda
2 cups Borax
I melt the soap in a few cups of boiling water and then add the washing soda and borax so it will dissolve. Place it all in an old liquid detergent laundry bottle and add warm water. Use the biggest bottle/tub you can find. I use one of the super big bottles that sits on its side and has the spout. If you don't have one of these, divide the concentrated recipe up among a couple of bottles, then add water. This makes a nice gel that dissolves well when you add the clothes.
Back to the stain removers, here's my research, results and comments:
Homemade OxiClean Recipe #1 (Overall Detergent Booster):
1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide
1/2 cup washing soda
Results:
I read that this recipe works best if the clothes are left to soak for a few hours. I decided to try it both ways: soaking and non-soaking. I used 2 loads of white clothes so I could compare to see if the soaking did any good. I only soaked for 30 minutes. The non-soaked clothes came out good, similar to when I add a scoop of OxiClean. The soaked clothes came out very bright! All I can say is WOW! I am impressed. I really didn't expect 1/2 cup of hydrogen peroxide in a full tub of water to do it, but it did! I also did a cost comparison on an ounce for ounce basis and the liquid hydrogen peroxide with washing soda is much, much cheaper than OxiClean.
I also want to mention that I have, and use on occasion, Mrs. Stewart's Liquid Bluing. This stuff has been around since 1883. It works great if you have a stain on whites that is set and won't come out. (Hanging the item in the sun to dry will also help to remove a set stain.) I don't use the bluing that often. My bottle is a few years old and I haven't even used half of it yet. I did not use it in the test washes.
Homemade OxiClean Recipe #2 (Pre-Treat Specific Stains):
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup vinegar
Results:
I use OxiClean gel to pre-treat oily stains on our clothes. I get lots of them on the t-shirts I wear around the house. (Teaspoons of fish oil are part of Molly's daily diet for her allergies and I usually end up squirting some on my shirts.) To make sure I was doing what I considered a 'fair' test, I treated one shirt with OxiClean gel, one shirt with Resolve spray and three shirts with the lemon/vinegar combo. Then I washed them together in the same load. These were fresh stains, I actually squirted the oil on the shirts so I could test this. I let the stain sit about 5 minutes. It took about 5 minutes to pull a new bottle of vinegar out of the storage closet, then I made the lemon/vinegar mix. So I guess all the stains sat about 10 minutes total before treating. I did not try this with 'old oil' stains because I didn't have any dirty t-shirts that were stained waiting to go into the wash. All the shirts came out clean. All of them! I rubbed the lemon/vinegar mix in a bit. I didn't use any other laundry booster, nor did I use a scoop of OxiClean powder. Just my homemade detergent and the pre-treated clothes. This is another surprise for me. I honestly didn't expect the oily stains to come out. I will no longer purchase OxiClean gel nor Resolve Pre-Treat! You can't find a cheaper stain fighter than lemon juice and vinegar!
I am very pleased with my results. And thrilled that I found a cheaper way to get my clothes clean!
Here are some other laundry ideas I found while researching. I haven't tried these yet:
- Sponging stains with peroxide will remove many simple stains. Peroxide will not injure wool or silk and is not dangerous to use. It may affect the color of the material so test on the fabric first.
- To remove coffee stains, mix the yolk of an egg with a little warm water. Rub on the stain with a sponge. For stains that have been set in, add a few drops of rubbing alcohol to the egg and water.
- To remove candle wax, apply ice to the wax so it freezes (you can also put the item outside in a dry area in the winter). Chip off all the frozen wax you can. Lay brown paper over the wax and press with a medium hot iron. Move the paper as it absorbs the wax. Take care not to redeposit the wax in another area of the fabric. Continue as long as any wax shows up on the brown paper.
- Perspiration stains are removed with a mix of vinegar and baking soda. Apply the vinegar, then sprinkle the baking soda on. While it is fizzing, scrub in gently with a brush.
- Grass stains will dissolve with an application of rubbing alcohol.
- For extra-dirty work clothes, add a cup of ammonia to the wash (do NOT add ammonia to any wash water that has bleach in it).
- Vinegar and water will remove salt stains from shoes and boots.
What an easy way to go frugal!
April 2013 Update: I have discovered that the spot remover of lemon juice and vinegar is not as effective on old 'set in' grease stains as it is on fresh stains. I have been doing some more experimenting. I have found the lemon juice and vinegar stain remover is more effective when the item is washed in very hot water, when you use fresh lemon juice, and when allowed to soak into to the clothes overnight. Still, I am somewhat frustrated with it's performance. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. The search for a frugal stain remover continues...
April 2013 Update: I have discovered that the spot remover of lemon juice and vinegar is not as effective on old 'set in' grease stains as it is on fresh stains. I have been doing some more experimenting. I have found the lemon juice and vinegar stain remover is more effective when the item is washed in very hot water, when you use fresh lemon juice, and when allowed to soak into to the clothes overnight. Still, I am somewhat frustrated with it's performance. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. The search for a frugal stain remover continues...
Monday, March 4, 2013
Make A Family Name Cloud
Isn't this cool? This graphic is called a Family Name Cloud. You can make one for your family too at www.treeseek.com. All it takes is a few minutes!
Now, I will admit that you can't create one of these in just a few minutes if you don't know who your ancestors are. First you will need to find them. But, even that isn't difficult. All you need to do is go to www.familysearch.org and key in the name of your parent or grandparent. Use as many of the search criteria as you can and press Enter. What will return are all the records the family search database has about that person or other people with similar names . The more details you enter, the less information you will get about people not related to you. I am amazed each time I use Family Search because the system always returns information about my ancestors. It can be difficult to find some of my ancestors because they have very common names like Mary Smith, Tom Howard and Julia Young. However, Family Search always manages to find some information I didn't have. I bet in an hour or two you can find information about three or four generations of your own ancestors!
The next step is to create a FREE account in Family Search and add the names you find to your family tree. Once your family tree is set up, go to Tree Seek and create your Family Name Cloud! You can also create a pedigree chart or a fan chart that can display nine generations of your family tree. Tree Seek also supports family trees created in www.geni.com. I can't give you any details about Geni because I don't use it, but I believe you can create a free account there as well.
Make a Family Name Cloud for your family and hang it in your home. It is impossible to know where you are going if you don't know where you came from!
Take some time to get to know your ancestors. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has a FREE web site that you can use to help you locate your ancestors: www.familysearch.org. This web site has all sorts of tutorials and on-line help if you don't know where to start. It has records from all over the world! Anyone, from anywhere in the world with an Internet connection, can access this site to search for their deceased family members. If you want even more help, stop by the family history center at your local church. You do not have to be a church member to use your local family history center.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Deep Conditioning For Your Hands
I wash my hands a lot during the day. When I am in the middle of a lot of homesteading chores, I can wash my hands up 20 times in one day! All that hand washing takes its toll on my skin. My hands usually end up dry, cracked and quite sore.
When my hands are this sore, nothing seems to work to smooth them and provide a more permanent relief. Regular lotions from the store are a joke at this point. I have even tried quite a few commercial lotions specifically targeted for farmers and homesteaders but have not been overly happy with the results.
The best way I have found to solve this problem is to treat your hands the same way our great- great- grandmother's did. Here are the steps:
Then, try to remember to use lotion more often during the day so your hands don't get so dry in the first place! I admit, I have a hard time remembering to do this. I have a bottle of lotion at the kitchen sink but I still don't remember to use it as often as I should.
By the way, I have a wonderful everyday lotion recipe that is easy to make. I am running low on lotion so I need to make some more in the next few weeks. Watch for a post on that soon!
When my hands are this sore, nothing seems to work to smooth them and provide a more permanent relief. Regular lotions from the store are a joke at this point. I have even tried quite a few commercial lotions specifically targeted for farmers and homesteaders but have not been overly happy with the results.
The best way I have found to solve this problem is to treat your hands the same way our great- great- grandmother's did. Here are the steps:
- Submerge your hands in warm water. Sometimes I combine tasks and do this when I am hand washing dishes. Right after you get out of the shower is good too.
- Dry your hand quickly. They should feel somewhat damp.
- Put on lotion. An oily lotion works best in this situation. Vaseline is my favorite. I have also used cocoa butter, olive oil and liquid vitamin E.
- Cover your hands with some old gloves. Our great- great- grandmother's used cotton gloves. Sometimes I do too. Sometimes I go high tech and use disposable vinyl gloves.
Then, try to remember to use lotion more often during the day so your hands don't get so dry in the first place! I admit, I have a hard time remembering to do this. I have a bottle of lotion at the kitchen sink but I still don't remember to use it as often as I should.
By the way, I have a wonderful everyday lotion recipe that is easy to make. I am running low on lotion so I need to make some more in the next few weeks. Watch for a post on that soon!
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