Simple Farmhouse Life

Latest Episodes:

248. Encouragement for young moms, raising great teenagers, and more Q&A! Jul 30, 2024

Show notes

If you are in the early years of motherhood, everything can feel so overwhelming. Your kids are all young and you are still trying to find confident footing as a mom. I hear from young mothers quite often who want to learn new homemaking skills, but they feel like they are already drowning in motherhood. In this episode, I am sharing my advice for mothers in those little years, and I’m also talking about my approach to parenting in the teen years, and my hopes and dreams for my children’s adult years. Join me for this chat as I answer a variety of questions from my listeners!

In this episode, I cover:

An update on my strategy for baby sleep as a mom of eight
My hopes for the future of my family as my kids get older
A sample week in the life of my blogging business
Our strategy for raising capable and delightful teenagers
The one downside to having a home birth
Do I regret becoming an online influencer?
My opinion on which season of parenting is the most difficult

View full show notes on the blog + watch this episode on YouTube.

Thank you for supporting the sponsors that make this show possible!

CONNECT

Do you have a question you’d like me to answer on the podcast? A guest you’d like me to interview? Submit your questions and ideas here: bit.ly/SFLquestions.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

247. Breaking Down Popular Narratives in Motherhood | Abbie Halberstadt of M is for Mama Jul 23, 2024

Show notes

If you have ever wanted to sit down with a seasoned mom and ask your biggest motherhood questions, I hope this conversation with Abbie will bless you! As a mother of ten, her perspective on raising kids has grown throughout the years as she has encountered challenges and rejoiced in victories. We chat about how to build an in-person community around you, dangerous modern parenting narratives, comparison, convenience, and more. We hope this episode fills you with encouragement as you walk out this noble calling of motherhood!

In this episode, we cover:

Our unique perspective on the “motherhood is hard” narrative
What real in-person community gives you that internet relationships can’t
The benefits of having a mentor in motherhood and how to find one
How to recognize the gifts and challenges of your unique circumstance
Is the easy way always the better way?
The countercultural way we prioritize quality time together in our large families
Laying the groundwork for raising delightful teenagers
The point of biblical parenting is not what you think
Why it’s dangerous to exclude dads from the parenting narrative

View full show notes on the blog + watch this episode on YouTube.

Thank you for supporting the sponsors that make this show possible!

Toups and Co Organics | Use code FOB15 at ToupsandCo.com

ABOUT ABBIE

Abbie is a happy wife, homeschooling mama to ten rad kids, bestselling author, blogger, fitness instructor, and recent pickleball enthusiast. Abbie is the author of the bestselling M Is for Mama and has a passion for sharing scriptural wisdom combined with her own lessons learned through the challenges as a mama of ten. She is here to help shift perspectives on the hardships of motherhood and of life, in general, all while reminding women of their God-given beauty and purpose.

But most importantly, she’s a Bible-believing Christian who desires to know God and make Him known. Her new book is Hard is Not the Same Thing as Bad, and she loves encouraging women to dig deep in the everyday trials of motherhood for the treasures of joy and growth that are there in abundance if we’re only willing to look. She, her husband Shaun, and their double handful of children live in the Piney Woods of East Texas.

RESOURCES

M is for Mama by Abbie Halberstadt

Hard is Not the Same Thing as Bad by Abbie Halberstadt

M is for Mama Podcast

Abbie on the Ellen Fisher Podcast

CONNECT

Abbie Halberstadt of M is for Mama | Website | Instagram | Facebook

Do you have a question you’d like me to answer on the podcast? A guest you’d like me to interview? Submit your questions and ideas here: bit.ly/SFLquestions.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

246. Quit Social Media: Find Peace and Freedom Again | Sandy Cooper of The Scoop on Balance Jul 16, 2024

Show notes

The impact of social media consumption cannot be overstated. After struggling with her own technology boundaries for years, Sandy finally decided to leave all social media platforms completely, but she thought she was alone in this battle. It didn’t take long for her to realize that there were countless other women experiencing the same negative effects of living overconnected. If you have been feeling a stirring to radically change your relationship with the internet, this conversation will give you the courage you need to take the next step.

In this episode, we cover:

How Sandy got started creating content on the internet and why she ultimately left social media completely
A look at how the internet has changed over the years
Addressing the biggest fears and inconveniences of leaving social media
Examining the addictive power of social media
A theory of why life feels like it is passing us by faster and faster
What constant consumption does to our brains
Coming out on the other side of social media addiction
Changing your relationship with social media as an online business owner
How technology is changing adolescence

View full show notes on the blog + watch this episode on YouTube.

Thank you for supporting the sponsors that make this show possible!

ABOUT SANDY

Sandy Cooper is an award-winning author of three books, a podcaster, and a professionally certified home chef. She has been a wife to Jon for over 30 years and is mom to three kids ages 17 to 25 and a 9-month-old son in Heaven. She has been helping frazzled moms find peace since 2008 at thescooponbalance.com and is the co-founder of Writing Off Social, where she helps female Christian writers grow their audience without social media. She podcasts weekly at The Balanced MomCast and Writing Off Social: The Podcast from her home office in Florida, where she lives with her family.

RESOURCES

The Balanced MomCast Podcast

Writing Off Social

Free Quiz: Is it Time for You to Break Up with Social Media?

CONNECT

Sandy Cooper of The Scoop on Balance | Website | Substack | Email: thescooponbalance@gmail.com

Do you have a question you’d like me to answer on the podcast? A guest you’d like me to interview? Submit your questions and ideas here: bit.ly/SFLquestions.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

245. Large family minimalism, natural remedies, antibiotics, baby sleep, and more Q&A! Jul 09, 2024

Show notes

I am sitting down to answer more of your questions in today’s episode! Do we ever use antibiotics? How do I get my babies to sleep through the night? How do we manage toys with eight kids? Join me for this look behind the curtain of our life right now! If you’d like to submit a question for a future Q&A episode, visit bit.ly/SFLquestions.

In this episode, we cover:

Examples of when we use natural remedies and when we use pharmaceuticals
My laid back approach to sleep training for night time and nap times
How I handle not having a vent hood in our busy kitchen
The strategies that allow us to have minimal toys in our large family
How I keep our home tidy even though I am not naturally organized
My babywearing recommendations from newborn through toddler years
Why I don’t bathe my kids every day and what we do about chlorine pools
Do we avoid GMOs for health reasons or political reasons?

View full show notes on the blog + watch this episode on YouTube.

Thank you for supporting the sponsors that make this show possible!

Toups and Co Organics | Use code FOB15 at ToupsandCo.com

CONNECT

Do you have a question you’d like me to answer on the podcast? A guest you’d like me to interview? Submit your questions and ideas here: bit.ly/SFLquestions.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

244. Turn Your Homemaking Skills into a Business: How to Start a Microbakery | Lily & Ellen of The Flour Barn Jul 02, 2024

Show notes

There is no doubt that homemakers gain many valuable skills as they continue to grow in their role. If you have thought about using your kitchen skills to generate an income for your family, this episode is for you! Lily and Ellen share the story of how they started a home bakery that has continued to grow and become quite profitable for their families. We also talk through the ins and outs of making decisions in your small business. How do you know when it’s time to grow and when it’s time to scale back? May you be inspired by this chat with three busy moms, homemakers, homesteaders, and entrepreneurs!

In this episode, we cover:

How to navigate the timing of baking large batches of breads and pastries for a microbakery
Tips for making a microbakery profitable and worth your time
Learning from your mistakes and letting go of business ideas that don’t work
The importance of marketing your products effectively
Outfitting your microbakery without going into debt
Walking through the layout of the baking and selling space
Navigating local regulations of commercial kitchens and cottage bakeries
Step-by-step process of prepping and baking dough
Making your small business work for you as a busy mom
Thinking through tough decisions when growing your business
The value in creating an experience for your customers
Why microbakeries may have more success than large-scale bakeries

View full show notes on the blog + watch this episode on YouTube.

Thank you for supporting the sponsors that make this show possible!

ABOUT LILY & ELLEN

Lily and Ellen are two sisters who own a small bakery on their family farm. They spend their days raising their children, running their bakery and caring for their homestead.

CONNECT

Do you have a question you’d like me to answer on the podcast? A guest you’d like me to interview? Submit your questions and ideas here: bit.ly/SFLquestions.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

243. Practical Self-Care for Moms: Overcoming Burnout and Anger in Motherhood | Elizabeth of Emotionally Healthy Legacy Jun 25, 2024

Show notes

Self-care in motherhood is a hot topic these days, but the advice can be difficult to navigate when it does not feel practical for your season of life. Or perhaps you are feeling guilt about establishing self-care routines for yourself. Elizabeth helps moms overcome anger and overwhelm and embrace peace and wellness in their homes. If you are in a season of motherhood that has you feeling burned out or easily angered, this episode offers practical strategies for taking care of yourself while still prioritizing your role as a mother. Join us for this uplifting conversation!

In this episode, we cover:

What is burnout and why does it lead to anger?
The starting steps for climbing out of the hole of burnout
Taking your self-care to the next step beyond basic needs
Changing your mindset about what is life-giving and realistic in your season
Choosing to adapt when things don’t go as planned
How to ask for help when you are feeling burned out
First steps you can take today if you are stressed or overwhelmed
Strategies for finding pockets of time for self-care without using screens
The benefits of giving your kids quiet, independent time in the afternoons

View full show notes on the blog + watch this episode on YouTube.

Thank you for supporting the sponsors that make this show possible!

Toups and Co Organics | Use code FOB15 at ToupsandCo.com

ABOUT ELIZABETH

Elizabeth is an anger management coach for Christian moms. She is the host of Emotionally Healthy Legacy podcast and a mom of four. Elizabeth is super passionate about mental health and emotional wellness in motherhood. She supports stressed Christian moms in overcoming anger and embracing emotional stability, empowering them to leave an emotionally healthy legacy for their children's lives.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Emotionally Healthy Legacy Podcast

10x Emotional Capacity Training

CONNECT

Elizabeth of Emotionally Healthy Legacy | Website | Podcast

Join us in the Simple Farmhouse Life Facebook community!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

242. Quick & Easy Summer Meals | Cooking From Scratch Jun 18, 2024

Show notes

I love sharing what we are cooking in our farmhouse from season to season, so join me for this episode where I’m talking through what our menu looks like during these long, hot summer days. We are on the go more in the summer, so I am spending less time cooking which means I need to keep our kitchen stocked with quick and easy staples that we can throw together in a pinch. I hope you find meal inspiration in this episode to take with you into your own kitchen!

Check out part two of this episode exclusively on YouTube where I am showing the process of transforming my parents’ open-concept home into a cozy, inviting space.

View full show notes on the blog + watch this episode on YouTube.

Thank you for supporting the sponsors that make this show possible!

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Some recipes mentioned in this episode: peach chicken, honey mustard, sourdough bagels, puff pancake, mayonnaise, granola, strawberry jam, sourdough crepes, water kefir, sourdough lemon bread, fermented lemonade

Check out the Farmhouse on Boone blog for more from-scratch recipe inspiration for every season!

And follow along on YouTube to see more of the meals we are enjoying in the farmhouse.

CONNECT

Do you have a question you’d like me to answer on the podcast? A guest you’d like me to interview? Submit your questions and ideas here: bit.ly/SFLquestions.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

241. Give Your Family What Technology Can’t | Erin Loechner, Author of The Opt-Out Family Jun 11, 2024

Show notes

In our highly-connected digital world, many voices have come along to warn of the dangers of overindulgence in technology. While many encourage boundaries and moderation, Erin argues that opting out completely is a better way. Have you felt the pull to change your family’s relationship with technology? Before you think, “I could never do that,” give this episode a listen! Erin gently challenges us to craft the kind of family culture where technology cannot compare to the joy of real life.

In this episode, we cover:

The decision-making process that led Erin to her current philosophy on screen usage
Digging into some of the practicals of living a less connected life
The surprising way your relationships may be impacted by leaving social media
Taking an honest look at the moderation mindset around the online world
Giving your family something to reach for, not just something to run away from
Navigating a screen-free life with your kids
How the cultural landscape is changing in regards to technology
Will restricting your kids’ screen usage cause them to overindulge in the future?
How parents’ desire to keep tabs on their kids may not be healthy

Thank you for supporting the sponsors that make this show possible!

Toups and Co Organics | Use code FOB15 at ToupsandCo.com

View full show notes on the blog + watch this episode on YouTube.

ABOUT ERIN

Founder of global tech-free movement The Opt-Out Family, Erin Loechner is a former social media influencer who walked away from a million fans to live a low-tech lifestyle—and is now teaching others how to do the same. Her cutting-edge work has been praised in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, and the Huffington Post, as well as on the Today Show. When she’s not scrawling on her trusty steno pad, Erin, her husband, and their three kids spend their days chasing alpenglow, reading Kipling, and biking to town for more tortillas.

RESOURCES

Video tutorial on how to turn your smart phone into a dumb phone

The Opt-Out Family by Erin Loechner

More free resources for the opt-out family

CONNECT

Erin Loechner | Website

Do you have a question you’d like me to answer on the podcast? A guest you’d like me to interview? Submit your questions and ideas here: bit.ly/SFLquestions.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

240. Being Crunchy Without Going Crazy | Emily of Really Very Crunchy Jun 04, 2024

Show notes

For those in the crunchy community, there is more noise than ever about the dangers around us and the way things should be done. While navigating her own journey of health and wellness, Emily began to see the humor in this lifestyle. In this conversation, we chat about how Emily got started sharing comedy on the internet to bring levity to what can be stressful. We also dive into what it looks like to maintain balance in this journey– balance in our minds, in our children, in our family relationships, in our social interactions, and more. This episode is a must-listen!

In this episode, we cover:

How Emily’s crunchy lifestyle choices became viral content
Finding balance in living a healthy lifestyle without going crazy
Deciding what your 20% compromises will be in an 80/20 lifestyle
Evaluating our peace of mind in an age of information overload
Navigating relationships and social situations as a “crunchy mom”
Making peace with choosing convenience in some situations
Behind the scenes of Emily’s content creation process
How we handle criticism and negativity as content creators
The best way to encourage independent, creative play in kids

View full show notes on the blog + watch this episode on YouTube.

Thank you for supporting the sponsors that make this show possible!

ABOUT EMILY

Emily Morrow is the creator of Really Very Crunchy, a sketch comedy account with over 3 million followers across platforms and more than 2 billion views on her videos. Emily's new book, Really Very Crunchy: The beginner's guide to removing toxins from your life without adding them to your personality, is available everywhere March 12.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Really Very Crunchy by Emily Morrow

The Really Very Crunchy Podcast with Emily and Jason Morrow

Chocolate custard recipe

CONNECT

Do you have a question you’d like me to answer on the podcast? A guest you’d like me to interview? Submit your questions and ideas here: bit.ly/SFLquestions.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

239. Pregnancy and Homesteading Q&A with Meg of Hollar Homestead (plus some of our controversial opinions!) May 28, 2024

Show notes

So many of you have been asking me to bring Meg back on the podcast, and I am so excited to have her join me for this chat all about her approach to pregnancy and her homesteading story. We address questions about what foods we stay away from during pregnancy, what homestead chores we avoid, and more. What are our thoughts on ultrasounds? Prenatal vitamins? How do we maintain our businesses and homeschooling responsibilities throughout pregnancy and postpartum? I hope this chat with Meg inspires those of you who are in a similar season to make the most of this time!

In this episode, we cover:

How Meg’s family made a radical change to pursue homesteading and debt freedom
Thoughts on consuming raw milk during pregnancy
What we do and do not avoid during pregnancy
How to maintain the important things during difficult seasons of pregnancy
Scaling back business and homeschooling when adding a new baby to the family
Our thoughts and experiences with ultrasounds and prenatal vitamins during pregnancy

View full show notes on the blog + watch this episode on YouTube.

Thank you for supporting the sponsors that make this show possible!

Toups and Co Organics uses nourishing, organic ingredients to create simple and safe skincare products. Toups and Co is offering my listeners 10% off any one purchase with the code FOB15. Visit ToupsandCo.com to order today. And check out my interview with the founder of Toups and Co, Emilie, to find out more about this amazing company and their products.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Listen to Meg’s first episode on my podcast!

CONNECT

Meg Hollar of Hollar Homestead | Website | YouTube | Instagram

Do you have a question you’d like me to answer on the podcast? A guest you’d like me to interview? Submit your questions and ideas here: bit.ly/SFLquestions.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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