Monday, January 30, 2017

Cattail fire starters

The best fire starters I have ever used and I just realized I have tried a lot. As a city girl growing up cattails are something I did not see so when I did and found out all the seeds they carry and how fun they are I started to think of ideas to do with them. I let my kids play with them in a sensory bin and then ended up with a huge bin of cattail down. So I figured why not make fire starters. I cut up a egg carton, placed rolled up cattail down in each cup and topped it with hot wax. After I wrapped it in newspaper and tied it off with string. The newspaper and string is not needed though. I have been using some that I made without it and it works just as fine. These are long lasting and very worth the work of putting them together. 

Here is a video I put together of the how to instructions~
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziDWwhF7DtU

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

One way to carry in fire wood....hey it worked!


 I was actually looking up different ways people carry wood cause I am all of 4' 10" and my arms are not much bigger lol. I seen many things you can buy but trying to save for a puppy right now so buying is not a option. I seen a picture of someone trying this idea and I figured it was worth a go. It worked!. As you can see it was pretty easy to make and only took two sticks  and some rope. I could have easily carried more but it was storming out and I was not staying in the woods with 50 mph wind gust. For sure something I will use again to help.
Now if only my cat would stop eating everything, swear he is like a dog..chews on everything.


Monday, January 23, 2017

Beef bone meal Benefits and easy recipie

I am trying to focus on eating more then just muscle meat of a animal and decided to grab some beef neck bone from local store. (no we don't raise our own meat, wish I could :/ ) 
The benefits to cooking with the bone, fat, and bone meat of a a animal is huge. Immune support, stronger bones, and  more energy is just a few. (lets not forget gives a use for bones that otherwise might just be thrown out) Bone marrow itself contains lots of vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids. Bone marrow also helps by carrying oxygen threw out the body. 
So what we did first was start making the bone broth. In our crock pot we placed all the beef bones, some water, and veggies. (carrots, onion, celery, and garlic powder) Let it cook for 24 hours then made our first meal with it. We picked out all the meat and marrow and placed it in a jar with our favorite marinade and let that sit for a little. Then just placed it over rice and added a few bones for show. It was so good! Ended up tasting like beef jerky. After that was done all the bones went back into the water mix and sat for another 24 hours. After that was done I put some in the freezer and some in the fridge to use as broth in later meals. So next time you hit up a butcher or store look for the bones, it is worth it! (side note butchers in my area sells bones for cheap cause a lot of people just never buy them, worth a try)

Thursday, January 19, 2017

ways to recycle egg shells...and other things :)

Before you throw out them egg shells why not try to recycle them a different way like~
~Feed for chickens to boost calcium intake
~Sprinkle around your garden to keep pest away
~Calcium boost for tomato plants (place them in the hole before planting)
~Make egg shell powder to add to your food for a calcium boost
~To start seeds
~Compost or just mix straight into the soil
~Make sidewalk caulk
~Add to broth
~Crafts (we dye them and crush them, kids love gluing them to paper to make pictures)
~Bird treats(bake for 20 mins at low, crush and add them to a bird feeder)
~Crushed egg shells can help get off stuck on food when washing
~Blown eggs for Easter or any craft time
~Egg shell candles
~To stop itchy skin (drop shells in some apple cider vinegar let it soak and dab on itchy skin)
~Keep stray cats away (unsure about this one :/ )

Other things you can reuse!~
~Banana peels to add potassium to a garden
~Chicken feathers to add nitrogen to a garden
~Old tires and bottle to make planters
~yogurt and k cup containers to start seeds
~Water from boiling eggs helps add calcium to the soil and feed plants
~Aspirin water mix spray to help seeds grow(google how to do it first lol)


Friday, January 13, 2017

Newspaper starter pots

Great way to reduce, reuse, and recycle
Line up a piece of newspaper horizontally then fold in half so you have one long piece of paper. Roll a glass jar along the paper so the jar is now covered and fold in the bottom. Remove the jar and fold in the top now. For anyone that doesn't get what I am saying cause you know what it is something that is easier to show here is a youtube video of it lol~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EwS0NuLFBw
It is really not hard to make and when transplanting the sprout to the ground you can just plant the whole thing.

Monday, January 9, 2017

Ways to reuse egg cartons

~Ice cube trays. Make sure to wash them out first.
~Fire starters
~Paint palette
~Package padding
~Storage for small items
~starting seeds
~Organize small spaces
~crafts
~Make into a bird feeder
~compost (cardboard cartons only)
~cupcake holder
~Eggs! Reuse them for what they are made for :)


Friday, January 6, 2017

ways to homestead, it is easier then you think

You do not need to have land or animals to be a homesteader. It all starts with the little thing you can do right now. So here is a list of some things you can do, any other ideas I do not have listed feel free to add in the comments!

Remember~ Do not get overwhelmed, the worse thing you can do is start a bunch of projects at once  and end up with to many new things to do.

~Shop at second hand shops. Some times used are just as good as new and cheaper.
~Fix the old broken items. Make sure to use something as long as you can before spending money on a new one.
~Raise/grow your own food. We personally can not have "farm" animals so we use every space we have to grow food.
~Compost  One of many ways  to keep useful things out of the trash. Also great for a garden and lawn. Below is our small storage compost bin
~Make your own clothes, learn to sew and more. I personally love to crochet.
~Live smaller, down size. Empty space is wasted space. Try to rid yourself of things that just sit and haven't been sued or worn in months.
~Make your own cleaning products and soap. Many different ways to do it, google can be a huge help and Youtube also.
~Learn to fix it yourself. Many times workers charge ways more to fix something then the cost of the items to fix it. You can never learn to much.
~Collect rain Make sure its legal in your state first.
~Barter
~Shop deals. It is not always a option to fix something or barter but shopping deals, looking at a paper or asking around can save you a lot of money.
~Save seeds
~Cook from scratch, it is a lot heather that way too.
~Forage for wild food. This comes wit ha "duh" warning to know what you are eating before you just go out and starting eating wild berries and such.
~Can and dehydrate food
~Use cloth instead of disposable ....Like napkins, diapers, and shopping bags
 ~raise bees They will do wonders for a garden and environment

Over all the best thing you can do is never stop questioning and never stop learning. Question and learn where your water comes from, what it took to make the clothes you wear and of course where your food comes from.