On my to-do list for this week – making my own laundry detergent. Yes, I make my own laundry detergent instead of buying it at the store, and you know what, I like it more than the name brand that I grew up using. I started making my own laundry detergent about eight years ago, and haven’t had any regrets! In fact, on the rare occasion that something is washed in regular store bought detergent, I notice a difference in the scent (my husband said his shirt smelled like Pez) and in ...
Homesteading
Around the Garden: June
So far, 2018 has had some of the strangest weather. It started out with an extremely cold winter. Then, we had a wet spring. Our local weather forecaster announced today that this weekend will be our first dry weekend since before Easter! Mother Nature is weird. That said, my garden beds never got started this spring, but there is still a lot going on out there. ...
25 Mosquito Repellent Plants for Your Garden
I love spending time outdoors, but I despise mosquitos and gnats. I don't want to kill all of the bugs; bats and birds need to eat. I just want to keep them away while we are are enjoying the backyard. Enter in the mosquito repellent plants! While these have not kept all of the annoying bugs and insects out of the yard, it has definitely made a HUGE improvement, and all without chemicals! 25 Mosquito Repellent Plants Ageratum Basil* Bee Balm* Cat ...
Start Your Spring Garden Now!
You can get a jump on your spring and summer garden by starting your seeds indoors in February. Garden centers, as well as Home Depot and Lowes, are already well stocked with seed starting supplies and tons of fruit, vegetable, herb, and flower seeds. Most fruits and vegetables can be started indoors and then transplanted outside in about 6-8 weeks. However, root vegetables such as radishes, carrots, beets, turnips, and parsnips do not transplant well and should be ...
Backyard Maple Sugaring: Day 1
When I shared my homemaking & homesteading goals for February, one thing I mentioned wanting to do was tap our maple trees. I have been reading up on backyard sugaring and making maple syrup. I figured this was another homesteading skill that I could develop and share with others - my family, my scouts, and our community. Local farms in our region held their maple tapping events this past weekend, so yesterday I decided it was time for us to tap our trees as well. ...