Homesteading & Home Making
Here in the U.S., homesteading is on the rise. If you are thinking of making a change from your current lifestyle to a simpler life, you may face many homesteading obstacles. This is especially true of those who don’t have farming roots.
Read More
Fall is my favorite time of year and the kids always liked to decorate for Halloween. Coming from a frugal family, decorations were made using things we had around the house. Thankfully, we have the Dollar Tree these days where we can make Farm-Tastic Halloween Decorations for just a couple of dollars. Here are 4…
Read More
When J was a little boy, many moons ago. He and his siblings were bringing firewood in without gloves and his little fingers were frostbitten. Even now, he has to be careful in the cold because his fingers will hurt badly if not kept warm.
Winter is fast approaching here in the panhandle of Idaho. The pass and upper elevation have already seen snow. I hope you’ve gotten all your wood stacked and dried.
If you’ve used wood as your heating or cooking source for any length of time, then you know the key to heat production is in properly drying and storing firewood.
We’ve want to share what we’ve learned with you over the years about drying and storing firewood.
Read More
If you’re going to put out the energy and time to cut, split, and properly store firewood, you want to know you’re being as efficient as possible. No use wasting valuable time when there might be an easier way, right? The question is, how do you know which are the best trees for firewood.
Read More
We are often asked why we call ourselves “New Old-Fashioned Farmers.” The answer of course is simple. We call ourselves this because we farm the way my grandparents taught me, like their parents taught them, at least in manner that is. Since we farm in a modern, tech filled world we have a some variances, but then every generation brings its own ideas, experiences, and talents to farming. Balance is the key to life.
Read MoreWhen my great-grandmother, Ma Horton, died I was 13 and she was 85 years old. She left us with wonderful memories and many lessons for life. I have a rich farming heritage because of who they were and my grandparents teaching me all their parents taught them, but whether or not I remember it all is another story! 🙂
Some of Ma Horton’s wisdom has been handed down to us because her daughters wrote some of it down for those of us in the younger generations. These are a few of those tips that I use in my own home.
Read More
Have you ever caught a firefly? I remember countless nights as a child, running through the fields with a mason jar trying to catch fireflies. Watching the jar filled with bugs with glowing bottoms for hours, then releasing them back into the fields only to start all over again. But where have all the fireflies…
Read More
Has something in your soul been calling you to get back to your roots? Do you have a strong desire to leave the fast-paced society and get your hands in the dirt? If so, you’re not alone. Thousands just like you are wanting to leave their 9-5 in search of a simpler life. To…
Read More
Hummingbirds have always fascinated me. Their ability to hover, their amazing speed, and how they appear to dance with the air. As long as I can remember, my grands and my ma had a red feeder hanging outside the window to attract hummingbirds. Little did we know back then that the red food dye…
Read MoreOur Blog
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
December Week 4 Holiday Fun Language Arts Preschool/Kindergarten Read this short Raggedy Ann story about a Taffy Pull to your child. Grade School/High School Enjoy the Raggedy Ann story above. Write a poem about taffy pulling, baking cookies, or sipping hot cocoa by the fire. Science Preschool/Kindergarten If you plan to pull taffy,…
December Week 4 Lesson 1 Homestead Plans for the New Year Life Skills/Language Arts/Art Preschool/Kindergarten Have your child design a cover for your homestead planner (or the divider pages). Have them print HOMESTEAD PLANNER and/or each section title. Let them make drawings for each printable page you design. Grade School/High School Start a homestead planner.…
December Week 3 Lesson 3 Jewelry Making Math Preschool/Kindergarten Have your child practice measuring jewelry items. If you do not have jewelry, take them to a craft store and let them measure some items. Have your child count beads and sort them by size and color. You can get bags of assorted beads at the…
December Week 3 Lesson 2 Embroidery & Cross-stitch Math Preschool/Kindergarten Have your child practice counting. Print out one of the cross-stitch patterns and have them count how many stitches are needed of each color. Grade School/High School Cross-stitch patterns are done on graph paper, making it very easy to make your own patterns. Make patterns…
December Week 3 Lesson 1 Knitting & Crocheting Math Preschool/Kindergarten Work on metric measures with your child, especially millimeter and centimeter. If you have knitting needles or crochet hooks, have your child measure them with a ruler. Grade School/High School Read about math involved in knitting and crocheting. Knitting Math ~ Knitting With Karma If…
December Week 2 Lesson 4 Moccasin Making Language Arts Preschool/Kindergarten Have your child practice writing MOCCASIN. They can write the letters around the shape of a moccasin, then decorate the inside (also counts as art). Grade School/High School Write a paper about moccasins. The paper can discuss the history, a certain type of moccasin, or…
December Week 2 Lesson 3 Place Setting and Manners Home Economics/Practical Living Preschool/Kindergarten Teach your child how to set the dinner table. If you do it differently than the picture below presents, teach them your way. Show your child how to hold utensils and use a knife to cut food. Teach them not to stuff…
December Week 2 Lesson 2 Whittling and Leather Work Art Preschool/Kindergarten Watch this video of whittling a gnome (there are no words) YouTube Video ~ Gnome Wood Carving Whittle Make a leather name tag! YouTube Video~ How To Make A Leather Name Tag If possible, have your child make something by whittling or leatherworking. You…
December Week 2 Lesson 1 Quilting Language Arts Preschool/Kindergarten Read a book out loud about or including quilting. Here are two titles to look for: The Quiltmaker’s Gift by Jeff Brumbeau and Gail de Marcken a Eight Hands Round – A Patchwork Alphabet by Ann Whitford Paul. >>>> Printable Quilt Coloring Page YouTube Video ~…
What Is A Pioneer? Parents, work with your child on our Pioneer Learning lessons. There is never a timeline or a requirement to finish by a specific deadline. The classes are flexible and adaptable to work with your life and schedule. Share your progress in our private groups, ask questions, celebrate accomplishments. We are a…
Read More