Recent Posts
Tutorial: Super Simple Crocheted Water Bottle Holder in 5 Steps (Great First Project!)
Never go thirsty with this straightforward and functional water bottle carrier! Comes together fast. A good project for beginning crocheters!
Projects: Learning to Crochet! Scarves, Water Bottle Carriers, a Hat, and Shawls
When your friends decide to learn to crochet at book club, you bring yarn and join in! Here's what I've been making from yarn this winter!
Backyard Suburban Gardening: My Year 5 Harvest
This year's expanded garden was more work, but the increased yield was worth it! I added to the front flower garden, too. Here's how everything grew and what I want to do differently next year.
Winterizing the Bees, Year 1
Northern winters are cold—so what do the bees do? Here's how we prepared our hives for the snowy months.
How We Managed Our First Honey Harvest
Our bees have been productive this summer, so we decided to harvest some honey! Here's what we've learned about the honey extraction process.
Why We Started Beekeeping—And How It's Going!
No secrets: We wanted the honey. Here's why we started with four hives, how we setup the bees, what happened when one hive swarmed, and other faced challenges so far.
Book Review: Retrosuburbia: The Downshifters Guide to a Resilient Future by David Holmgren
Not everyone has 40 acres and a mule. This book explains how to be more sustainable, off-grid, and productive on a regular neighborhood lot!
One Year Later, Are Backyard Chickens Worth It?
We brought chicks home a year ago. Now, how do we like having hens? How many eggs do they produce? What do you do when they escape their run or get attacked by hawks? Are they more work than they're worth?
How I Planted My Suburban Yard Garden, How It Grew, and What I Learned (Gardening, Year 4!)
A long, cold spring; a late first frost; new spaces, new flowers, new tools—here's how this year's garden grew!
Backyard Chickens: First Eggs, Starting Compost, and New Challenges
We set up our backyard coop and got chicks in late March. After months of waiting, the payoff is real: the first eggs! But not everything is peachy… flies? adventuring hens? What did we sign up for?
Backyard Gardening, Year 4: Spring Planning, Planting, and Improvements
Each year I try to level up a few gardening skills—and this year we have to landscape along a new front fence and incorporate the chickens into our routine!
The Farmer's Lament, a Poem
Tolkien recognized the importance of lay poets and musicians. His characters sing and compose verse about the great deeds and events of their age. What about in our world? Here's one attempt, inspired by Tolkien's Durin's Song.
Backyard Chickens: Why We Got Them, Where We Set Up the Coop, and What's Next!
Chickens? We weren't going to get animals until our kids could do the chores. Here's why we changed our minds and how we got chickens set up in our backyard.
Making Rag Rugs From T-Shirts and Old Sheets (Reuse and Upcycle!)
I love finding new uses for old stuff. I had a collection of old t-shirts and ripped sheets... what better thing to do than repurpose them into beautiful rugs?
The Fastest, Easiest Way to Bake a Great Loaf of Sourdough Bread
Armed with a new sourdough starter, I was on a mission to make a fantastic loaf with the least amount of time and effort. Here's my method.
Seasonality and Natural Rhythms: Why Growing and Preserving Your Own Food Matters
Having a garden isn't just a hedge against the End Times. Whether canning jam, fermenting cabbage, or dehydrating tomatoes, here's why the natural rhythm of growing and preserving food is good for us.
Gardening, Year 3: What I Grew and What I Learned in My 200-square-foot Backyard Garden
Every year in the garden is different. I never know which plants will grow well, based on the weather and where they're planted. Here's what happened this year: what grew, what didn't, and what I learned.
Backyard Gardening, Year 3: Spring Planning, Planting, and Pests
Starting tomatoes, planting herbs, and preparing for a season of fresh vegetables! But how do we deal with the neighbor's new bunnies?
Gardening, Year 2: What I Improved and How I Planned, Planted, and Harvested My 200-square-foot Garden
Could I replicate year 1's magnificant tomato harvest? Here's what I planned, how it went, and what I learned.
Gardening, Year 1: How I Planned, Planted, and Harvested a 200-square-foot Garden and What I Learned
I used the square foot gardening method to grow flowers, herbs, and tomatoes. I was most excited about tomatoes. If I grew some, the garden would be a success!