10 Tips for Managing Stress and Overwhelm on the Homestead
If I had to choose a single word to sum up 2020, it would have to be “stressful.” Or “overwhelming.” Or…
Okay, I’d choose two words.
Between the coronavirus pandemic, sky-high political tensions, adapting to the “new normal,” going double speed on all of our homestead projects in preparation for who knows what lies ahead…
Releasing two new courses, publishing regular blog posts, videos and a monthly magazine and balancing it all with the regular never-ending to-do list that is our daily lives, including but not limited to…
Our child going back to school, end-of-season gardening tasks, doing our TAXES (ugh), and preserving the mountains of food ready now before it all goes to waste)… I finally cracked this week.
And I know I’m not the only one.
Adapting to “unprecedented times”
Across the globe, tensions are high. Here in North America, many people are out of work or trying to balance working from home with homeschooling their children for the first time.
We’re all adapting to social distancing and mask-wearing, and the general feeling of “just get me out of here” that’s become common place in most grocery stores and other public places. Anxiety-inducing to say the least.
Add to that the fact that so many people have let their health slip as they’ve sat home under shelter-in-place orders, watching Netflix and eating junky comfort food to help them through these emotionally draining times. While comforting at the time, this physical toll on our health also affects our mental health too.
Oh, and then there’s the whole systemic racism/social injustice thing that has people in many communities and cities across the US suffering, angry and afraid for both their lives and livelihoods. Not to mention the onslaught of recent environmental disasters (ie. hurricanes, wildfires, pest infestations, etc.), an upcoming political election with no chance of a peaceful outcome and an undercurrent of division in our society like we’ve never experienced before.
And then all the while there are our regular old, mile-long to-do lists vying for our focus and attention as if all of these other things weren’t going on in the background.
Are you feeling overwhelmed yet? I sure am.
I finally snapped…
I’ve had a bit of a rough week myself. We’ve just been going hard for so long and it’s been slowly chipping away at my mental, emotional and physical health ever since the pandemic took hold here.
It all came to a head this week, and I’ve found myself in tears a few times; over my own feelings of inadequacy to deal with everything and be everything to everyone; over my own shortcomings and personal issues (we’ve all got ‘em); over the sadness I feel for the world right now; over the uncertainty of the future; and over the anxiety that comes from my inability to cross every, last, thing off my to-do list each day.
Anybody else feeling this way? Please leave me a comment below to let me know I’m not the only one!
In any case, I find it useful to take a breath and put my thoughts on paper (or in a blog post) when I’m feeling overwhelmed like this. When it comes to managing stress and overwhelm on the homestead, it helps for me to walk myself through hard times and give myself the advice I would give someone else; the advice that’s helped me get through many challenging times before in my life when I’ve felt trapped by the weight of it all.
So, because I know that there are others out there who need help to cope with stress and overwhelm now more than ever, I figured I’d take my crappy week and make something good come of it. Hence this blog post.
My tips for managing stress and overwhelm on the homestead
These are the tried and true steps I’ve taken time and again when I’ve gone through periods of stress and anxiety. (And I’ve gone through my share of these periods, believe me).
Managing stress and overwhelm on the homestead can often be extra difficult because of the added layer of work and responsibility that comes with homesteading life. So while these tips work for anybody, they’re especially helpful if you’re managing a homestead as well.
No matter what you’re going through, where you live, how big (or non-existent) your homestead, I hope the following tips bring you some comfort and peace in this time of overwhelm and uncertainty, and that they help you to keep putting one foot in front of the other as we forge a path forward for ourselves, our families and each other.
1. Focus on what you can control and let go of the rest
Okay, this might seem obvious, but it’s really easy to forget that all of the big, heavy things going on in the world right now (and always) are largely out of our control, at least at an individual level.
Instead, focus on what you can control. Focus on your family. Focus on your health, focus on your home… Cook a meal from scratch. Clean your kitchen. Weed the garden. Tackle the next project or skill that will help advance you on your path.
By tackling the things you can control, no matter how big or small, it helps you to feel more in control of your life overall. This is just another reason why I love homesteading as I feel like I’m in much more control over things like my health, food security, finances and self-sufficiency overall.
As the old saying goes, “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference.”
2. Do a brain dump
Sometimes when I’m so overwhelmed that I feel like I’m on the verge of a panic attack, it’s because there’s so much swirling around in my head that I don’t even know where to start or how to keep track. I’m unable to focus or prioritize because everything feels equally important.
At this point, it helps to just sit down and do a brain dump, which is basically where you just vomit all of your thoughts onto a page.
Okay, not literally vomit. It’s really just about getting everything that’s taking up mental space in your brain out on paper so you can see it for what it is. It’s about closing all the “open tabs” in your brain.
Once it’s on paper, you can stop worrying about having to think about it. That’s the first step toward more mental freedom and clarity.
Next, it helps to look at your list and categorize things. Categories could include Family/Home, Work, Homesteading/Gardening, Cooking/Food, Finances/Paperwork, etc. For example: Harvest tomatoes, Replace animal bedding, Plant Cover Crop, etc. could all go under “Homesteading.” Monthly budget, Taxes and Registration forms could all go under “Finances/Paperwork,” and so on.
The human brain likes order and classification, so by categorizing everything on your to-do list, you begin to eliminate the chaos and overwhelm that comes from trying to keep everything straight.
To help with this, I’ve uploaded a Time Management Planner to my Free Resource Library to help walk you through the process. Click here to gain access to the Resource Library and grab this free printable! (Find it under the “Homesteading & Self-Sufficiency Resources” section of the library).
3. Choose your “Big 3”
There are only so many hours in the day, and while many of us have to-do lists a mile long at all times, it’s just not possible to get everything done in a single day.
I struggle with this. I’ll constantly put more on my daily schedule than I can reasonably handle, and then feel defeated and overwhelmed when I fall into bed at night with most of the tasks still unchecked. But I know that when I do do this -when I focus on just three things instead of 33- it feels much more manageable and I go to bed feeling a lot calmer and happier about my progress that day, which, in turn, helps me to wake up feeling less overwhelmed the next day.
Choose the top three things that absolutely must get done that day. This might include work that needs to get done on deadline, food that needs to be preserved before it goes bad, paperwork that needs to be submitted, bills that need to be paid or even a load of laundry that needs to be done because no one has clean underwear. Whatever needs to be done ASAP to avoid consequences or mitigate loss should go on your Big 3 list.
After that, if there’s space for it, choose things that actually move the needle forward for you or help you get ahead. Maybe that’s working on your business or tackling a project on your homestead or doing a workout or prepping meals for the week ahead.
Only once you’re finished with those three things can you choose what to work on next from your brain dump list. Anything after three is a bonus. This makes you feel like a time management rockstar when you accomplish “bonus” tasks on top of your Big 3.
4. Make a plan/schedule your tasks
It’s one thing to prioritize your tasks, but if you don’t know how or when to do them, you can still end up feeling frazzled.
Take a few minutes to sit down and schedule out your tasks. Decide when you’re going to tackle each task and put it on your calendar or daily scheduler. Use time blocking to assign each task to a given time frame in your day. (Hint: Always allow a little more time than you think you need, just in case).
Plan out your day the night before (or in the morning before you get started). Again, this helps to take the pressure off you because you don’t need to always be thinking about what you need to be doing. You can just check your planner!
You can either use a tangible, paper planner to write everything down or you can use an app or the calendar on your computer or phone. I like using Trello to schedule all my tasks because it’s easy to add, delete and move things, and I can set it up however I want. You can have Trello boards for different projects, you can create one with your weekly schedule (that’s what I do), and you can even make group boards to schedule out your family calendar. Plus, it’s free!
If you prefer to write things down on paper, I’ve included a daily and weekly schedule template that you can print out in the Time Management Planner, which can be found under the “Homesteading Resources” section of my Free Resource Library.”
5. Start with the quickest/easiest task
While there’s definitely something to be said for the whole “eat the frog” approach to getting things done, when you’re feeling stressed, anxious and overwhelmed, it’s often best to start small and work your way up.
Start by choosing the smallest, easiest, most “doable” task on your list and tackle that first. Whether it’s sending a quick email, feeding the animals, doing the dishes or having a shower, by tackling something quick and easy first, you give yourself a quick win and get to cross one thing off your list right away. This helps boost morale and build momentum, making it easier to move onto the next task and the next.
6. Batch the tasks on your to-do list
One of the most effective ways to knock a whole bunch off your to-do list all at once is to batch similar tasks together and get them all done in one chunk of time.
I don’t know about you, but I find that my most productive days are when I’m focused on a single task or when I’m “in the zone” with a particular type of work. On the other hand, my least productive days are when I lose hours transitioning from one task to another without actually getting much of anything done.
For example, if I’m working in the kitchen preserving food, cooking, baking, making kombucha, etc. I’m most effective and in flow if I just stay in the kitchen and focus my attention there rather than flitting back and forth between the kitchen and the laundry and the garden and, and…
Likewise, if I’m working in the garden, I get much more done if I devote a chunk of time to knocking off a bunch of my gardening tasks all at once. Same goes for work. As a blogger, I wear many hats. But I always find I’m most effective if I group like tasks on the same days and batch them. I like to do all of my writing at the same time because I get in the zone with writing. Same with filming and then same with video editing, financials, etc. Batching tasks together doesn’t just keep you focused and eliminate a lot of time spent in transition from one task to another, it can even help you get ahead of the game, which can take a whole lot of pressure off.
7. Turn off all unnecessary devices
TVs, smart phones and computers can not only keep you distracted, they can keep you (or make you) feel even more stressed out and overwhelmed!
I don’t need to tell you that the news these days isn’t exactly good most of the time. Nor does it need to be said that there are a whole lotta mean-spirited people on the Internet just waiting to ruin your day with their negativity. This is a huge drain on your energy and on your mental and emotional health.
Take a break from social media and television and just quiet all that noise. You may want to consider taking an extended break for a few days, or simply scheduling phone/Facebook/TV-free time each day (I didn’t include computers as you may need to work on your computer, but you should definitely keep social media to a minimum).
If you have trouble putting down your phone or you just can’t seem to stop scrolling on Facebook, there are apps that will help you block certain sites, apps and social media platforms. Offtime is an app that helps you block distractions like social media, games and text messages. Focus is another good distraction-blocking app that blocks websites like Facebook and Twitter for a specified amount of time. Plus, if you try to visit these sites while you’re blocked, a motivational quote appears instead!
8. Take a break/go outside and get some fresh air and exercise
This is another “no-brainer,” and yet, so many of us struggle to allow ourselves to just take a break and get outside for some fresh air, sunshine and movement when we’re feeling overwhelmed with everything on our plate, or stressed out by the weight of the world on our shoulders.
Instead, we put our heads down and trudge forward with the things we need to do, often feeling stressed out the whole time (which reduces our effectiveness overall).
But taking a little brain break and a quick walk around the block, on the trails, down a country road, through the park or even around your property if it’s big enough is often all it takes to ease some of your anxiety, practice mindfulness and recharge your batteries.
If you can’t go for a walk, go spend some time in your garden or petting your animals (animals are such great therapy!) or simply sit outside for, say, 15 minutes and just be. Don’t look at your phone or get distracted with anything. Just practice being in the moment. This can really help to clear your mind and gain a new perspective on things.
9. Prioritize your health
Without your health, you don’t have anything, so staying in good health is important to help you manage stress and anxiety and avoid total burnout.
Sleep is so important when it comes to how your brain functions and processes the world around you. Know how much sleep you need to feel fully rested and aim to get that many hours every night. Lack of sleep is the quickest path to grumpiness, lethargy and a general inability to function at a high level.
Likewise, eat good, healthy foods and drink lots of water. What you put into your body truly does effect what you put out too. The healthier and more well-rested you are, the happier and more high-functioning you’ll tend to be, which makes dealing with stress and overwhelm on the homestead and in life all the much more manageable.
10. Learn to say “no”
I honestly feel a little ridiculous giving this piece of advice because I am so bad at this. I have terrible guilt when I say no to other people, so I tend to say yes simply to avoid the guilt. But I almost always end up regretting it when I say yes to things that I really don’t want to do out of a sheer feeling of obligation.
However, I did have a big win in this department when I was asked to teach my daughter’s dance class a couple weeks ago and said no, full stop. While I did feel a little bit guilty for saying no, I knew without a doubt that there was no way I could possibly take this on with everything else I have going on and not have a total mental breakdown. That’s one HUGE time commitment and filler of mental space that I avoided even adding to my list in the first place by saying no. Instead, I get to use the time to do the things that light me up and move the needle for me, my business, our homestead and our family.
Practice saying no to things you don’t really want to do, or to things that you know you don’t have the mental bandwidth to deal with right now, or that take away from the things that really light you up and fill your cup.
Will you feel guilty? Maybe. I know I sure do. But I’m learning that I’d rather feel a little guilty than have a complete and total mental and emotional breakdown from taking on more than I can handle. And I have a feeling I’ll get over the guilt eventually if I just practice saying no more often.
Managing stress and overwhelm on the homestead is different for everyone, but you are not alone
Everybody has a different tolerance for stress and overwhelm and deals with these issues in different ways. Sometimes it’s more of a time management issue and all you really need is help organizing your to-do list and getting things done. For help with this, be sure to download the free printable Time Management Planner from my Free Resource Library. (Find it under the “Homesteading & Self-Sufficiency Resources” section of the library).
Other times it’s more of an issue of feeling the weight of the world on your shoulders, or working through some tough personal issues, which can affect your every day life and how effective you are at taking care of your responsibilities at home, at work and as a homesteader, etc. Read more about coping with anxiety on the homestead here.
While there are no easy, one-size fits all answers for these types of problems, my best piece of advice for you would be to give yourself grace and permission to be human. Allow yourself to feel it all. Cry if you must (I have!). Get it all out and grieve if you need to. Scream into a pillow. Go for a run. Whatever it takes to let out everything that you’re feeling so you can let it go.
At the end of the day, there are a lot of big, stressful, overwhelming problems that you alone are not in control of or responsible for fixing. While I always think you should be part of the solution and not the problem, you don’t need to be a martyr either. When it comes to managing stress and overwhelm on the homestead, taking care of yourself and your own mental and emotional health before taking on other people’s is what’s most important. Just remember to breathe, because this too shall pass.
At least, that’s the advice I’d give myself. And ya know what? I think I just did:)
CATEGORIES
5 Comments
Submit a Comment
ABOUT ANNA
You Might Also Like
My Favourite Things – 2023 Edition (aka. The Modern Homesteader’s Christmas Wish List)
* This article contains affiliate links. For more information, please read my Affiliate Disclosure. Every year around this time, I compile a list of my favourite things: Things that I love, use or covet for my own homestead, and things that I know other modern...
15 Emergency Preparedness Items For Bugging Out
* This article contains affiliate links. For more information, please read my Affiliate Disclosure. Emergency preparedness is an important part of self-sufficiency, and self-sufficiency is a natural part of homesteading, so naturally the topic of preparedness...
I’m all about practical gifts; Gifts that will truly make life easier and contribute to my and my family’s wellbeing. And our family includes our animals!
One of the ways we make sure our chickens are taken care of is by letting them free range during the day, but making sure they’re locked up and safe from predators at night. But who wants to be up at the crack of dawn to open the coop, or wake up to a bloodbath because you forgot to close the coop the night before?
(The answer is obviously no one… No one wants that).
Automating our homesteading tasks as much as possible allows us to worry about other things and saves us a ton of time. Plus, it makes sure that things get taken care of, whether we remember or not.
Using an automatic chicken door has been a GAME CHANGER for us. It’s one of those lesser known homestead tools that can make all the difference, and I’m always recommending one to anyone who keeps chickens!
This chicken door from @chickcozy_ is so easy to install and use too, and right now you can get one for a steal during their Black Friday sale!
Save over $40 off an automatic chicken door, plus use my coupon code for an ADDITIONAL DISCOUNT!
Don’t forget to check out their chicken coop heaters too, which are also on sale right now:)
Whether you’re shopping for yourself or looking for the perfect gift for the chicken lover who has everything (which might also be yourself;) the @chickcozy_ automatic chicken door is one Christmas gift that won’t soon be forgotten!
Comment “Chicken” below for more info and to get my exclusive coupon code! 🐓
#chicken #chickens #chickendoor #chickcozyautodoor #chickcozy #chickensofinstagram #chickensofig #chickenlover #homesteadlife
Yes, you read that right…
Modern Homesteading Magazine is coming to an end.
This decision has not come easily, but there’s a season for everything, and more and more I’m feeling called to transition out of this season and into the next in both life and business.
And so this final farewell issue is bittersweet. On the one hand, it’s the first ever annual issue, with 100 pages packed with brand new content that celebrates the best of the past 32 issues!
And it’s the first issue I’ve ever offered in PRINT!
But on the other hand, it marks the end of an era, and of this publication that I’ve absolutely had the pleasure of creating and sharing with you.
If you’re a digital subscriber, you will not be charged a renewal fee going forward, and will continue to have access to the digital library until your subscription runs out. As part of your subscription, you’re able to download and/or print each issue of you like, so that you never lose access to the hundreds of articles and vast amount of information in each issue.
Rather than subscribing, you can now purchase an all-access pass for a one-time fee of just $20, which gives you access to our entire digital library of issues.
Plus, for a limited time, when you purchase an all-access pass you’ll also get a gift certificate for a second all-access pass to gift to someone else.
I’m also still taking preorders for the print version of this special edition issue, but only for a few more weeks!
When you preorder the print issue, you’ll also get a digital copy of the special edition issue (this issue only), and will receive a print copy in the mail later this year (hopefully by Christmas so long as there are no shipping delays!)
Click the link in my profile or visit modernhomesteadingmagazine.com to check out the latest issue, purchase an all-access pass to the digital library and/or preorder the print issue today!
Thanks to everyone who has read the magazine over the past 4 years. I’m humbled and grateful for your support, and can’t wait to share whatever comes next:)
#modernhomesteading #homesteading #homesteadersofinstagram
It’s easy to romanticize homesteading, but the truth is that those homegrown vegetables, those freshly laid eggs, that loaf of bread rising on the counter, and that pantry full of home-canned food takes time, effort and dedication. It doesn’t “just happen” overnight!
But if you work on learning one new skill at a time and gain confidence in it before moving onto the next, one day you’ll be looking back and marvelling at how far you’ve come.
That’s where I’m at now. Life today looks a lot different than it did 10 years ago, when our homesteading and self-reliance journey was just beginning.
Back then we still lived in our city condo and were just beginning to dabble in all of this stuff. But my husband Ryan and I felt a sense urgency to start pursuing a more self-reliant lifestyle, and we committed to taking small steps, one day at a time to make that vision a reality.
Over the years we’ve continued to put one foot in front of the other, adding new skills and tackling new projects along the way that have helped us get to where we are today.
While there’s always more we want to learn and do, as I look around me right now, I’m so grateful that we took those first steps, especially considering what’s happened in the world over the past few years!
If you’re also feeling the urgency to take the first (or next) steps toward a more self-reliant life, this is your final reminder that today is the last day to join The Society of Self-Reliance and start levelling up your homesteading and self-sufficiency skills so that you’ve got what it takes to:
• Grow your own groceries
• Stock your pantry
• Create a natural home
• Get prepared
• Learn other important life skills like time management for homesteaders, goal setting and how to become your own handyman
And more!
If you’ve been feeling called to level up your self-reliance skills (because let’s be honest, we’re in for a wild ride these next few years with everything going on in the world), now is the time to heed that call.
Link in profile to enroll before midnight tonight, or go to thehouseandhomestead.com/society
#homesteading #selfreliance #selfsufficiency #homesteadingskills #preparedness
There are so many reasons to grow your own food at home:
💰 Saves you money at the grocery store
🍴 Healthier than conventionally grown food
🔑 increases your overall food security
🫙 Gives you an abundance to preserve and share
But perhaps the number one reason is because it just tastes better!
Not only does food taste better when it’s freshly picked or allowed to ripen on the vine, there’s something about putting in the work to grow something from a tiny seed and then getting to see it on your dinner plate that just makes it so much more satisfying than anything you’ll ever buy from the store.
Plus, having to wait all year for fresh tomatoes or strawberries or zucchinis to be in season makes that short period when they’re available just that much more exciting!
With the world spinning out of control and food prices continuing to rise, it’s no wonder more people are taking an interest in learning to grow their own food at home. But that also means changing our relationship with food and learning to appreciate the work that goes into producing it and the natural seasonality of organically grown fruits and vegetables.
(It also means learning to preserve it so you can make the most of it and enjoy homegrown food all year long).
In my online membership program, The Society of Self-Reliance, you’ll learn how to grow your own food, from seed to harvest, as well as how to preserve it so you can enjoy the fruits (and vegetables) of your labor all year long!
You’ll also learn how to grow and craft your own herbal medicine, detox your home, become your own handyman, and so much more (because self-reliance is about more than just the food that we eat… But that’s a pretty good place to start!)
The doors to the Society are now open for a limited time only. Click the link in my profile or go to thehouseandhomestead.com/society to learn more.
#foodsecurity #homegrownfood #homesteading #selfreliance #selfsufficiency #homegrownfoodjusttastesbetter
If you’ve been watching events unfold over the past few years and you’re feeling called to start “cutting ties” with the system and begin reclaiming your independence, The Society of Self-Reliance was made for you!
When I first launched this online membership program last year, my goal was to create a one-stop resource where members could go to learn and practice every aspect of self-reliance, as well as a space to connect with other like-minded people pursuing the same goal. And that’s exactly what you’ll get when you join!
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn inside the Society:
🌱 Food Security and Self-Sufficiency: Learn the art of growing and preserving your own food, ensuring you and your loved ones have access to nutritious meals year-round.
🌿 Natural Living and Herbal Medicine Mastery: Discover the secrets to creating a low-tox home and and to growing, making and using herbal remedies to support your family’s health, naturally.
🔨 Essential Life Skills: Learn essential life skills like time management, effective goal setting and practical DIY skills to become more self-sufficient.
As a member, you’ll enjoy:
📚 Monthly Video Lessons: Gain access to our ever-growing library of video lessons, with fresh content added each month.
📞 Live Group Coaching Calls: Participate in our monthly live group coaching calls, where we deep dive into a different self-reliance topic every month, and do live demonstrations and Q&A’s.
🏡 Private Community: Join our private community forum where you can ask questions, share your progress, and connect with like-minded individuals.
I only open the doors to The Society once or twice each year, but right now, for one week only, you can become a member for just $20/month (or $200/year).
In today’s world, self-reliance is no longer a luxury, a “cute hobby,” it’s a necessity. Join us inside The Society of Self-Reliance and empower yourself with the skills you need to thrive in the new world!
Link in profile or visit thehouseandhomestead.com/society to learn more.
#selfreliance #selfreliant #selfsufficiency #selfsufficientliving #sustainableliving #modernhomesteading #homesteadingskills #preparedness
Got out for an early morning harvest today. Been up since 3am, contemplating life, the future and the past, the order of things…
There is a rumbling right now, not just in North America, but around the world. Many of us can feel it, and know we are on the precipice of something big.
I’d been hearing about this new song that’s become an overnight viral sensation, written by an (until now) unknown singer named Oliver Anthony. His new song Rich Men North of Richmond has had 14 million views on YouTube in the past week alone, so I decided to check it out.
I also saw a clip of him playing a Farmers Market last week, and anything that has to do with Farmers Markets always has my attention;)
I can’t tell you how many tears I’ve already cried listening to that song. If you’ve heard it already, you probably know what I’m talking about, and if you haven’t, I highly recommend giving it a listen. All I can say is it’s been a while since a song resonated so deeply with me, and in this strange new world, I know I’m not the only one.
One of the lines in Anthony’s song is “Livin’ in the new world, with an old soul,” and that’s something I think so many of us in the homesteading community can relate to.
Trying to cling to better days; To a simpler time; To the old ways, all while doing our best to get by in the new world.
The world has changed drastically in the last few years especially, and it’s set to change in immense ways over the next few years. Today I’m feeling thankful for people like @oliver_anthony_music_ who give a voice to what so many are feeling right now.
Know that if you’re feeling it too, you’re far from alone. And while the future may feel uncertain and even a little scary, remember that if we stand united, we the people are a force to be reckoned with.
(Continued in comments…)
Another garlic harvest in the books!
Garlic is easily one of my favourite crops to grow. It’s pretty much a “set if and forget it” crop. We plant in the fall and leave it to overwinter, fertilize a couple times in the spring, start watering only once the ground starts to dry out, and then harvest in the summer. We can even plant a fall succession crop after our garlic if we want so it really makes great use of garden space all year round.
Over the years we’ve managed to become completely self-sufficient with garlic. We now grow enough to eat all year (and then some!), plus we save our own seed garlic and usually have extra to sell or give away. And around here fresh, organic garlic ain’t cheap, so it’s a good cash crop for anyone who’s serious about selling it.
It took me a few years to really get the hang of garlic, but it’s one crop I’m now very confident with (knock on wood, because it’s always when we make statements like this that next year’s crop fails! Lol.)
A while back I compiled a comprehensive guide to growing, harvesting and using garlic both as an edible and medicinal crop. This is usually only available as part of a paid bundle (or in the fall 2022 issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine if you’re a subscriber;), but for a limited time I’m offering it for free, no strings attached!
Plus you’ll also get access to my step-by-step video lesson on planting garlic so you can set yourself up for success with your garlic crop this year.
Comment “Garlic” below or head to thehouseandhomestead.com/garlic-guide to get your free copy!
.
.
.
#garlic #garlicharvest #homesteading #selfsufficient #selfsufficiency #selfsufficientliving #selfreliance #homegrown #groworganic #growfoodnotlawns #gardenersofinstagram #homesteadersofinstagram
Going through photos and videos from our trip to the @modernhomesteadingconference and the vast majority are of our daughter having the time of her life!
Even if I personally got nothing else out of this gathering (which I most certainly did), watching her discover her own love of this lifestyle outside of what we do at home made my heart grow three sizes!
Homesteading is about so much more than homegrown food and self-reliance. It’s about passing on invaluable skills and an understanding of and respect for our connection to the land that provides for us to the next generation.
Being around so many other kids and families who are also pursuing a homesteading lifestyle helped show our little one that this is a movement that is so much bigger and greater than what our own family does on our little plot of land. This is a lifestyle worth pursuing, with a community unlike any other.
Glad to be back home and more excited than ever to involve my kids in everything we’re doing. But also, I think I speak for my whole family when I say we can’t wait to go back someday!
.
.
.
#homesteading #modernhomesteading #raisinglittles
If you’re simply looking for ways to save a little extra cash this summer and live well for less, here are 12 tried and tested frugal living tips for summer that you can use to save money this season without sacrificing a thing.
Head over using the link in my bio!
https://thehouseandhomestead.com/12-frugal-living-tips-summer/
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#houseandhomestead
#momentsofcalm
#pursuejoy
#simplepleasuresoflife
#thatauthenticfeeling
#findhappiness
#artofslowliving
#simplelifepleasures
#lifesimplepleasure
#simplepleasuresinlife
#thatauthenticlife
#authenticlifestyle
#liveanauthenticlife
#livinginspired
#savouringhappiness
#livemoment
#localgoodness
#simplelive
#lifeouthere
#enjoywhatyouhave
#frugallifestyle
#homesteadingmama
#offgridhomestead
#modernfarmhousekitchen
#crunchymama
#rusticfarmhouse
#farmhouseinspo
#farmhouselife
#modernhomesteading
#backyardfarmer
A brand new issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine just dropped!
In this issue:
🌱 How to forage and use five common edible and medicinal weeds
🏠 A sustainable, affordable alternative to traditional homes, greenhouses and more
👨👩👧👦 Tips for managing a homestead while raising a family (big or small!)
🫙 What to focus on when preserving food for true food security
🌹 How to grow and arrange your own cut flowers at home
🍓 The many ways to preserve summer berries (including 5 delicious recipes!)
💇How to make your own all-natural herbal hair care products at home
🧑🌾 Why “community sufficiency” is the new self-sufficiency
And more!
Visit modernhomesteadingmagazine.com (or click the link in my bio) to subscribe or login to the library and read the latest issue.
Plus, be sure to check out all of our past issues as well! There’s a wealth of information in our library on everything from farming and gardening to cooking and canning to herbal medicine, natural living and so much more!
*** This will be the last quarterly issue! ***
This little magazine has grown so much over the past 4 years and 32 issues, and now it’s time for another exciting evolution.
I’m excited to announce that we will be moving to an even more robust annual publication with the intention of offering the first ever print edition this fall if there is enough demand.
I’m also excited to announce the brand new Modern Homesteading Magazine blog, which is currently under construction and will be launching soon. While we will still be maintaining digital subscriptions, the blog will be accessible to all, free of charge, so that more people might benefit from the empowering and increasingly important information that we cover in each issue.
Thanks to everyone who helped make this issue happen! @homesteadingfamily @oatsandhoneyhomestead @omnivore.culture @thetaylor.leigh @doeraydesign (and more who don’t have IG pages;)
And a HUGE thank you to everyone who has subscribed over the years. Modern Homesteading Magazine would never have become what it is today without each and every one of you.
#homesteading #modernhomesteading #selfsufficiency
If you’ve ever grown your own garlic, you might have noticed the spiral-shaped shoots that suddenly pop up in the centre of the stem, usually about a month or so before the garlic bulbs themselves are ready to be harvested.
These are garlic scapes, and believe it or not- they make delicious pesto! Get the recipe through the link in my bio- https://thehouseandhomestead.com/garlic-scape-pesto/
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#houseandhomestead
#homesteadmom
#homesteadmoments
#homesteadingskills
#homesteady
#thehomestead
#thehomesteadlife
#summeronthehomestead
#suburbanhomesteading
#lovemyfarm
#modernhomesteader
#countrygal
#country_living
#urbanhomesteading
#selfsustainableliving
#homesteaderslife
#garlic
#garlicscapes
#garlicscapespesto
#granolamom
#urbanhomesteader
#homesteadlifestyle
#farmerslifeforme
#backyardhomesteading
#homesteadingfamily
#sustainablelifestyles
#happyhomesteading
#homesteadersofamerica
#homesteaders
This honey and chive blossom vinaigrette is a frugal, easy and healthy homemade salad dressing that pairs beautifully with fresh garden salads all season long.
Get the recipe through the link in my bio.
https://thehouseandhomestead.com/chive-blossom-vinaigrette/
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#houseandhomestead
#herbalgarden
#gardenherbs
#herbsfromthegarden
#freshherbsfromthegarden
#gardenfreshherbs
#chiveblossoms
#homesteadmom
#homesteadmoments
#homesteadingskills
#homesteady
#thehomestead
#thehomesteadlife
#summeronthehomestead
#suburbanhomesteading
#lovemyfarm
#modernhomesteader
#countrygal
#country_living
#urbanhomesteading
#selfsustainableliving
#homesteaderslife
#seasonalrecipes
#eatinseason
#liveseasonally
#eattheseasons
#seasonaleats
#summersbounty
#eatseasonal
Great article and great comments. I keep busy with my small pumpkin and herb farm and I watch my grandchildren Mon-Fri. As for T.V. we only watch Little Bear once in awhile. Love Little Bear (he has a nice simple life:) I feel so bad for the world and wish I could do more but like you said you can only control what is around you and I am so happy to wake up each morning and start a brand new day (whatever it may bring:) Stay safe everyone and know you are not alone
Anna, those are great suggestions. Strangely, I was in about the same place as you a week ago. I normally plan before I leave the garden what my next tasks will be, usually for the following day, unless rain is expected. Overwhelmed as I was, I decided to start limiting myself to three garden tasks a day. I also decided to get back to my once-a-week “bake & make day,” And I decided, for my own mental health, I needed to let go the idea I could get everything done. Sound familiar? I told myself I would do my best, but not to the point where I was going crazy. This meant some of the tomatoes I picked were going to spoil rather than get canned, so that that was a hard decision. It meant the house wasn’t going to be clean this week, though I did get to some of the usual household tasks. It meant that some of the seeds I was putting in for a fall garden might not get in when they should. But mostly, it meant that I felt better.
I reminded myself that kindness matters, not only for me to be kind to others, but to be kind to myself. Running myself ragged with high expectations… make that unrealistic expectations of myself is not being kind.
And then, while I was cleaning up a bed and prepping it for the next planting, I started thinking about how I might smooth out next year’s garden schedule, just a bit, so that that I’m not quite so overwhelmed next year. I could plant with a plan so I can even out my harvests a bit. Maybe I could adjust things so that I’m not simultaneously trying to clean up and plant some beds while tomato canning is going on. I can inventory and get supplies in for canning before the season.
You had some other good tips I can try now. Thank you!
Hi Holly,
I love those tips too! I’ve been saying for a couple years now that I’m going to start making freezer meals in the spring so at least I have some quick dinners ready when the kitchen is a mess with canning and everything in the summer. And I want to do less crops at once but more succession planting next year too so that things are staggered.
Every year is a new learning experience and no, we just can’t do absolutely everything. I think as women, especially, we can be extra hard on ourselves with expectations. But something always has to give in order for other things to take priority.
Oh, and if it makes you feel any better, cleaning my house is almost always the first thing to go when I’ve got too much on my plate!
Love it, Anna! 😀
Great article, Anna! Great tips and so needed right now. A couple of other things I do to manage stress are:
1) Practicing self-care. Busy people, busy Moms are often too busy to take care of themselves. But I find when I make the time to take a bubble bath, enjoy a cup of tea, read a couple of chapters in my favorite book or give myself a pedicure, it does wonders for my mental health and well-being.
2) Making quiet time. For me this generally includes some type of devotional, prayer and meditation. It’s good to rest and renew the mind from all the negative and focus on more uplifting thoughts, building my faith and hope again.
Thanks for all you do! XO