a slice of life
a slice of life
Early this spring, hubby and I were standing on the deck and thought how nice it would be to have somewhere to sit, besides the deck steps. We do have chairs that we could set out, but they’re not the type to stand up well to being out in the weather all the time. I …
Yesterday morning, just as I stepped out on the back deck, I spotted our first hummingbird of the season. I didn’t have anything resembling a camera on me, so the picture here is actually one from an earlier year. The two feeders in use this year hand on the corner of the deck, where I …
I like to keep lists, mostly because it helps me to stay on track with projects. The list below is an attempt to document all the plantings that are currently in the yard, broken down by the general area on the property. Ultimately, many of these items will be linked to posts with more information. …
Yesterday, I harvested the first few pole beans from our Blue Lake plants. It was just a bare handful, but it is still a nice start. The beans were planted in mid-May in two different locations – a southern exposure plot and in a pair of Earthboxes (EarthBox 80155 Garden Kit, Organic, Terracotta) on the …
In keeping with my overall plans for our yard, most of what we grow here is edible. Since my basic plan is to convert as much of the yard to useful plantings, I focus on vegetables, herbs and pollinator attracting plants. In this section, I’ll be talking about the vegetables I have found to work …
Is suburban homesteading really possible? When you think of homesteading, what comes to mind? Do you picture large properties and numerous types of livestock? Is that the only way to be a homesteader? Technically, a homestead is simply a family’s house and the land on which it sits. By that standard, a suburban homestead is …
The very first project we undertook was to add a woodstove in the downstairs family room. In our case, it was an old Lopi stove that had been rescued from a friend’s garage. It dates back to the early 1980’s, so it’s a lot less picky about the quality of the wood burned. The first …
It’s pretty hard to prevent waste in our daily lives, but there are certainly ways to deal with it more efficiently. Types of Waste Packaging Waste – Nearly everything we consume comes packaged in some kind of container or wrapping. Cans, bottles, jars, boxes, bins; the list is nearly endless. The question becomes what to …
Dryer balls are a great way to save energy while drying your laundry as they can shorten the drying times as well as working to soften your clothing, eliminating the need for dryer sheets with their nasty chemicals. As the balls tumble around in your dryer, they help keep the clothing separated so the heat …
Do you want to help save the planet? Would you feel better if you recycled more? Most of us like the idea of living a green lifestyle but may not know where to begin. As part of my commitment to suburban homesteading, I actively choose to be more green. What We Do To Be Green …