Let's rip off the bandaid! If I were on a mission to be more sustainable, I would start by refusing free stuff. Wait, but isn't it a goal of yours to thrift everything? Yes. Now, hear me out. Free stuff is the best! BUT! Only accept what you will actually use.💚If you already have a plastic-free toothbrush, tell the dentist no thanks when they offer one with their company business name on it.💚If the restaurant offers you a promotional cup with purchase, ask if they can reuse the cup.💚Buy...
16 days ago • 2 min read
We bought a zoo! We've been waiting and hoping to buy more chickens for months. It seems everyone is in the same boat because it has been a challenge to finding any. Patience pays off, Reader, because on Saturday we purchased 10 3-week old chicks from Wolf Hill Farm. We'll have to wait 5 to 6 months until they start giving us any eggs but we're excited to have some new friends at The Holmestead. Jury's out with how Millie is managing. (I caught her walking along the top of their a-frame coop...
21 days ago • 2 min read
Sustainability at it's finest I'm so tired of people telling you need to buy this product or make this life altering change in order to live sustainably. "I'm tired of this, grandpa!" -Holes I believe sustainable living happens with one small change you make: when you decide to eat at home instead of eating one more meal out, purchasing something in bulk or glass over plastic, etc. It's in all the small moments that add up over time. Over 8 years ago, I purchased a box of trashcan liners from...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Full heart, tired eyes ate chinese takeout in this nice parking lot I had the beautiful privilege of driving 12 hrs north, to upstate New York, to visit a dear friend of mine. Her and her family moved there last summer and I haven't seen them since! She is a mama to two sweet, wild, adorable toddlers and boy was it a full visit. Since it was my first visit up there, we ventured out every day to see a new place, go on a walk or explore the town. Something I observed during my visit was her...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Apparently I'm a paperterian? This just in. Did you know that choosing paper packaging over plastic and striving for a paper-based lifestyle equates to being a papertarian?! I had no idea this was a thing until a few days ago and turns out, I can call myself one! Paper is a renewable resource and can be broken down and made into something new up to 7 times. That is so encouraging to me. A few things I'm choosing to be more conscious of moving forward: printing more recipes or writing them on...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Where has the time gone?! 6 years ago, from last Saturday, was our wedding day! It was a beautiful March day, surprisingly warm, and yet, I couldn't wait for the day to end. Sure, I was excited to be married, but so much goes into planing a wedding, lots of stress and way too many details, I was ready for the marriage. There was nothing as sweet as having so many of our close friends all in one place. Growing up on the other side of the country, meant a lot of people weren't able to make it...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Learning right alongside you, Reader. A little vegetable broth action! I've been having a lot of conversations around my teaching style. You have graciously shared with me that I need to be more basic. How can I provide a quick win, a small step, something simple to implement toward living more sustainably? This has felt more challenging than I anticipated. I long to have frequent conversations around sustainable living, because I want everyone to care AND I'm so passionate that it's the only...
2 months ago • 2 min read
This week on the holmestead It was quite eventful over here. We had a few friends join and spent the holiday making some maple syrup. You need about 40 gallons of sap water to produce 1 gallon of maple syrup. From start to finish it's a 4 hour process. The reward of delicious golden syrup is worth the slow waiting as water boils. I posted my first full length youtube video and Dave and I attended a pottery class. Trying new things comes with a lot more questions than answers, but it also...
3 months ago • 1 min read
I did something new! maple syrup boiling setup For the first time, I posted a video to YouTube, in the format of a YouTube short. So many people have been encouraging me to quit spending all of my time posting on IG, and instead share content on other platforms first. Share it to Instagram as a repurposing tactic. That led me to trying something new! Surprisingly, it's done really well, especially, considering the fact that I don't know what I'm doing. Do you enjoy watching YouTube? Yes! No,...
3 months ago • 2 min read