Gardening with newspaper

My mother-in-law told me that you can use newspaper in your gardens as a weed-block.  I thought this was interesting so I researched it online to learn more about it.

Indeed, newspaper is a great natural source (and a great way to recycle) to prevent weeds from growing in your garden.  In fact, people say that the newspaper will work for several years if undisturbed.

This is what you do:

- soak several pieces of newspaper in water, wring out, and unfold.  Lay flat on ground.
- cut hole big enough for your potted flowers/trees/plants to fit in the hole.
- plant your flowers/trees
- lay mulch or dirt on the top of the newspaper

This type of weed barrier is much better for your plants than plastic, and will work better than anything you can buy at the store.

I am going to use this idea this year when planting :)

Uses for Vinegar

I recently became aware of how versatile vinegar is for daily use.  I think vinegar will become my new best friend! 

The list I found is a mile long, and has some excellent ideas for using vinegar!  It can be used on floors, in your yard, for cleaning, laundry, dishes, sunburns, pets, etc! 

Check out the list, and even print it for your convenience!

Cleaning recipes using essential oils

Here are some recipes for making cleaners and soaps using essential oils.  Here is the website I got these recipes from.  I have not made these yet but plan to try them in the future.

BATHROOM CLEANER
What do you want out of a bathroom cleaner? I know I want to disinfect and deodorize, above all. Getting the hard water stains off the toilet bowl would be an excellent bonus, and soap scum removal off the tub wouldn't hurt either. This recipe will do all these and more. It is the only cleaner you will need for your bathroom -- although I guess you wouldn't want to use this one on your mirror!

1/3 c. baking soda
1/4 c. borax
2 TB to 1/4 c. grated soap (or soap powder)
10 drops pine essential oil
20 drops lavender essential oil
5 drops tea tree essential oil

Mix all ingredients and use this as you would a Comet-type cleanser. Simply sprinkle and scrub! Store in an airtight container.

KITCHEN CLEANER

Disinfecting countertops is numero uno in my kitchen. Since we are crazy -- and messy -- cooks, I also need something to degrease the counters and stovetop.

1 TB baking soda
2 tsp. castille soap (such as Dr. Bronner's)
1 c. water or oregano hydrosol
3 drops oregano essential oil (only add this if you are using water, not hydrosol)
8 drops orange essential oil
8 drops lemon essential oil

Heat the water and baking soda until the soda dissolves. Remove from heat and gently add the castille and essential oils and pour into a spray bottle. Spray surfaces and wipe with a clean cloth or damp sponge.

GLASS CLEANER
I would bet that you want what I want -- streak-free cleaning for sparkling mirrors and clear-view windows. Your backyard -- and your reflection -- will never look so good!
1 c. water
1 TB vinegar
1 TB rubbing alcohol, or if you want to be super non-toxic, ethanol (grain alcohol)
3 drops lemon essential oil

Mix ingredients in a spray bottle. Shake well before using. Have you ever tried washing glass surfaces with old newspapers? I don't know why it works, but it helps with the streak-free.

DISH SOAP

If you make cold-process soap, you can easily make a dish soap from coconut oil with a titch of castor oil for smaller, foamier bubbles. Use the lowest superfat you feel comfortable with, and for ease of use, mold soap into ceramic mini-loaf pans or flower pots and put one by your sink. Oh, scent with lavender and tea tree essential oils or citrus and herb essential oils. Decorative and functional, and a wonderful hostess gift, too.

Composting and Mulch

Here is a website that is full of great information regarding compost and mulch. 

It is a comprehensive article, and will answer many questions you may have about preparing your garden. 

Homemade cheese, yogurt, and butter

Since I've been thinking about going back to the basics, I was intrigued to find out if it was possible to make my own yogurt.  In my search I found this awesome website that not only explains yogurt, but also gives step by step instructions on making various cheeses and butter.

At some point this summer, I am going to try some of the recipes, and I'll give my personal feedback.  If you have your own feedback and experience, please share it with me and my readers!  We would appreciate it!

Here is the main website.  Here is a page from that website for beginners.  They have helpful tips on what to start with, how to proceed, and what to expect as a new cheese-maker.  What's also neat is they have a page outlining how to make your own cheese press from materials laying around the house (otherwise they cost anywhere from $60-$250)!  I will aslo try making this sometime this summer.

Another website, here, has a slew of options as far as purchasing ingredients for cheesemaking.  Again, I haven't done this yet, but it looks like this website has a lot of options.

Let me know if you have any experience or advice for me as I reach out into the unknown of cheese and yogurt making :)

Homemade dryer sheets

Have you ever thought about alternatives to using dryer sheets?  Here are a couple of ideas on how to make your own and save money, resources, and stay "green".

Spider and insect bites

I appearantly got bitten by a spider or insect yesterday, so I researched bug bites and I found this website with some helpful information and pictures. 

Now I know the differences between bites- I think this is the first time (that I recall) being bit by an insect.

Utility shut-off

In case of an emergency, it is important to know how to shut off your gas, electricity, and water.  Learn where your shut-off valves are, and know how to disconnect them.  This knowledge could come in handy in the event of a natural disaster situation where your gas pipe is leaking, the water lines burst, or there were problems with the electrical outlets.

Keep prepared!

Insulin substitute for Diabetics

If you are diabetic, this information may be helpful.  According to this blog, Jerusalem Artichokes are a good source of inulin (not insulin), which helps to stabilize blood sugar levels.  This is important information to know in case there was an emergency.

Starting our garden

I have grown up gardening, but this will be the first year that my husband and I grow a garden together.  We have a late start on it this year (due to buying a new home and remodeling), but we are hoping to get at least something planted this year, even if it is smaller than we would like.

This will be the year to test the soil and climate (I gardened in another state, and the growing seasons are slightly different).  Hopefully experimenting this year will give us challenges and lessons learned so that next year's garden will be even better :)

I have currently dug up the grass and weeds, and am awaiting the next step.  We have rabbit issues, so we are going to experiment on how to keep them out of the garden.  I think we've decided to use chicken wire and posts.  I'll keep you updated on our efforts.

Food Storage Tips

Food storage is an important part of preparation in case of an emergency.  It is important that you and your family set up a system that works well with your family size and needs.  Here are some tips for food storage (a comprehensive list and excellent resource is at this website):

1.  Store your food in a cool, dark, dry place.  This can be a basement, closet, kitchen, attic, under your bed, or even stored in a chest and used as a table.  Be creative if you have small living quarters!

2. Figure out how much storage you need for you and your family.  Use this cool calculator to figure it out.

3.  Decide how to store your food storage.  Put your food in 5 to 6 gallon buckets or pails.  There are different ways of "sealing" your food so moisture doesn't get in and cause the food to spoil.  There are mylar bags, the dry ice method, CO2 and Nitrogen flush method, bay leaves, freezing your grain, and the diatomaceous earth powder (which is used to kill insects and is approved for human consumption).

4.  What is the shelf life of your food?  There is a great chart on the website that shows the general shelf life of foods.

5.  Make sure to rotate your food so it doesn't spoil or get eaten by rodents or insects (I grew up eating wheat that was stored it in a big 5-gallon bucket, and we never had problems.  The same thing goes for home canned goods, or canned goods from the store).

- Make sure that you have food on your shelves that you are willing to eat, because if there is no emergency, you will want to eat and rotate your storage. 

- It is important to store extra water for your dehydrated foods that you will be rehydrating.  Follow the chart on the website for rehydration.

- If you eat one meal a week from your storage shelves, you will go through your one year supply in 7 years.

Welcome!

Welcome to my new blog!

I have decided that it is time. Time for me to relearn the basics of daily living.  I am used to purchasing items without thinking twice about where they come from or what kind of work went into making them. Essentially, I take for granted the world at my fingertips. This is what our society is based upon. It is time for me to venture into the world of "making", not buying, and "doing", not relying upon hired help. 

It is also time for me to get prepared in case of an emergency (should my husband or I lose our jobs, our economy collapses, a natural disaster hits, etc).  This type of preparation includes food and equipment storage, knowing how to do handy-man work, the art of homemaking (sewing, cooking, canning, etc), gardening, survival strategies, first aid, natural remedies for ailments and injuries, etc.

This blog will cover all of these topics above.  I am new at this, so together we can start this journey towards more knowledge and power.

My journey starts here and now. Join me as I learn and grow. We are at the drawing board, and back to the basics.