Simple Farmhouse Life

Latest Episodes:

168. Essential Tools for Building a Homestead | Christina of Thermaland Oaks | Debt-Free Homesteading Jan 19, 2023

Show notes

I frequently hear from listeners who want to start homesteading, but it can be overwhelming to know where to start. Especially if you are building a homestead from scratch on raw land, and there are a variety of tools and skills you will need to acquire along the way. Christina of Thermaland Oaks is very familiar with this whole process as she and her husband have built their entire home and homestead with their own hands. Join us for this conversation as we dive into what tools are essential to build and maintain a homestead. We also chat about the reality of sharing our lives on the internet as we pursue our homestead dreams. For any hopeful homesteader, this episode is a must listen!

In this episode, we cover:

The reality of building a homestead from scratch on raw land
What to do when you can’t buy up front all the tools you need
Ups and downs of sharing your building journey online
Being content when you are prioritizing one project at a time
Planning ahead and budgeting for projects as you go
How social media doesn’t tell the whole story of the homestead
Essential tools for starting a homestead and what to avoid
What’s coming at Thermaland Oaks in 2023

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

Thank you to our sponsors!

TOUPS AND CO ORGANICS | Use code FARMHOUSE at ToupsandCo.com

MOCKMILL | Visit FarmhouseonBoone.com/Mockmill to save 5% on your purchase

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167. Prepare for Garden Season: Select Seeds, Learn Your Climate, Cultivate Healthy Soil | Bailey Van Tassel Jan 12, 2023

Show notes

If you are a gardener (or hopeful gardener) who is eagerly browsing seed catalogs and mapping out garden plots in anticipation of the upcoming growing season, this episode is for you! Bailey is a wealth of knowledge on backyard gardening, and our conversation was full of practical tips, especially for the suburban gardener. Bailey tends ten raised beds on her California neighborhood lot, and she helps gardeners in every zone plan, start, and cultivate their gardens no matter their level of experience. If you are looking for some garden inspiration as we look ahead to spring and summer, join us for this chat!

In this episode, we cover:

Growing a garden on a small suburban lot
Gardening year round in a warmer climate
Raised beds vs. in ground gardening
Finding quality soil and keeping it healthy
Options for composting with animal manure
Considering what grows well in your climate
Favorite plants to grow that are often overlooked
Why you should grow flowers and herbs
Five things gardeners can do in winter to prepare for the growing season
Top recommendations for ordering seeds
Starting seeds indoors vs direct sowing
Best advice for new gardeners
Making the garden part of your daily rhythm
Deciding what to let go when your plate is full

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

Thank you to our sponsors!

TOUPS AND CO ORGANICS | Use code FARMHOUSE at ToupsandCo.com

REDMOND REAL SALT | Use code FARMHOUSE at bit.ly/FarmhouseRedmond

RESOURCES

Join Bailey’s FREE garden planning masterclass in January

Join Bailey’s monthly gardening membership, The Kitchen Garden Society: a subscription for all US hardiness zones, helping gardeners to stay on track, sharpen their skills, learn from experts, and live a garden-inspired life

CONNECT

Bailey Van Tassel | Website | Instagram | Pinterest | Podcast

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166. A Heritage Sourdough Method + Answering Your Questions | Anja of Our Gabled Home Jan 05, 2023

Show notes

If you have been around this community for long, sourdough is not a new topic to you; however, I would be willing to bet that you will hear some ideas and methods in this episode that you have never heard before!

Anja grew up in Germany and learned everything she knows about sourdough from watching her mother bake as a constant part of their family’s routine. In my chat with Anja, we walked through some of the most common questions we receive from sourdough bakers, everything from starter maintenance to baking timelines to discard.

Whether you are new to sourdough or have been baking for years, I am confident this discussion will give you new ideas to shake up your sourdough experimentation.

In this episode, we cover:

Tips for creating your first sourdough starter
How many people are overcomplicating sourdough and how to get back to basics
Navigating the many variables of sourdough and what to do with imperfect bread
A surprising heritage method of creating and maintaining starter (passed down through Anja’s family!)
Are hundreds-year-old sourdough starters really ideal?
Practical examples of sourdough timelines
A discussion of good bacteria and bad bacteria in foods
Answering the most frequently asked sourdough questions

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

Thank you to our sponsors!

TOUPS AND CO ORGANICS | Use code FARMHOUSE at ToupsandCo.com

SCHOOL OF TRADITIONAL SKILLS | Use my link bit.ly/FarmhouseSkills

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Anja's course: Super Simple Sourdough

Anja's sourdough coaching

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Join us in the Simple Farmhouse Life Facebook community!

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165. Why We Love Homeschooling + Addressing Common Fears | Leigh Nguyen of Little By Little Homeschool Dec 29, 2022

Show notes

If you are currently homeschooling or have ever considered homeschooling, this episode will be such an encouragement to you! As a homeschool mom who has graduated two children, Leigh lends her homeschool coaching voice to this fascinating conversation about homeschooling as a lifestyle.

Make sure you stick around until the end of the episode to hear us address some of the most common fears we hear about homeschooling. While it’s not always the easiest choice, homeschooling offers so many beautiful benefits to the entire family. Join us for this discussion!

In this episode, we cover:

How homeschooling as a lifestyle differs from other school approaches
What it takes to adjust your mindset to a new way of schooling
The practicals of what deschooling looks like
How homeschooling strengthens family relationships
Recognizing and embracing your family culture within your homeschool
How homeschooling supports the unique personality of each child
The importance of free time and boredom for children
How homeschooling as a lifestyle makes space for children to access self-motivation
What your kids can gain from living a natural, simple lifestyle even in the suburbs
Some surprising ways homeschooling impacts the parent/child relationship
Why you are qualified to homeschool and other common fears about homeschooling
Letting our kids’ natural curiosity drive their education

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

Thank you to our sponsors!

TOUPS AND CO ORGANICS | Use code FARMHOUSE at ToupsandCo.com

BLOGGING SUCCESS MASTERCLASS | Visit bit.ly/FarmhouseBloggingSchool

CONNECT

Leigh Nguyen of Little By Little Homeschool | Website | Instagram | Podcast | Facebook Group

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164. Entrepreneurship & Motherhood: Building a Successful Business and Involving Your Kids | Natasha McCrary of 1818 Farms Dec 22, 2022

Show notes

Do you have a dream of starting your own business? Or are you currently running a business? Are you looking for ways to involve your kids so they can learn valuable life skills and be part of the team? This episode is for you!

Natasha has always been an entrepreneur at heart, but she has spent the last decade building a wildly successful farm business with her family. 1818 Farms provides handmade bath and body products, fresh flowers, events, workshops, and more. In our conversation, we dive into all things small business: marketing, starting small, scaling, outsourcing, beautiful packaging, involving your kids, and more.

If you have that entrepreneurial itch or you are in the thick of running your own home business, this episode is full of brilliant ideas and important mindset shifts. Join us!

In this episode, we cover:

Natasha’s journey to starting and growing her multifaceted farm business
The importance of pivoting and evolving your business over time
How to know when something is no longer working in your business
Online marketing and growth strategies that give you the most control
Starting and growing a business when you have young children at home
Getting your children involved in age-appropriate parts of the business
Marketing and exposure ideas for a brand new farm business
The importance of first impressions via branding and packaging
Making wise investments as your company grows
Why you should nurture existing customer relationships over always seeking new customers
Natasha shares how her older teen and adult children have been impacted by growing up helping with the family business
Discerning what to outsource in your business and what to keep on your own plate
The importance of starting small scale and perfecting your product
The first things you should consider if you want to start a business from your home or farm

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

Thank you to our sponsors!

TOUPS AND CO ORGANICS | Use code FARMHOUSE at ToupsandCo.com

AZURE STANDARD | Use code SIMPLEFARMHOUSE10 at AzureStandard.com

Please see full show notes for more details on these offers.

CONNECT

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163. Declutter + Organize: Identify Personalities, Shift Mindsets, and Build Habits | Shannon Acheson of Home Made Lovely Dec 15, 2022

Show notes

Many people begin thinking about decluttering and organization in January, but it’s such a good idea to begin simplifying your home leading up to Christmas. Creating a more peaceful home environment can help you and your family enjoy this busy season more, and it helps prepare your home for an influx of new clutter after Christmas! Shannon of Home Made Lovely joins me in this episode to talk about her new book, The Clutter Fix. We all know that clutter doesn’t make us feel good, but so many of us get stuck on what to actually do about it. Shannon not only teaches about how to declutter and organize, but she also dives into our mindsets and personalities around the topic of clutter. This is such a practical episode with lots of bite-size, actionable steps you can take today!

In this episode, we cover:

Mustering up your decluttering motivation with some quick wins from the get-go
The unexpected cost of disorganization
Uncovering your clutter personality and how you can make meaningful change
The myth of the one-time decluttering sweep
Changing your mindset about clutter and organization
Handling kids’ clutter and teaching them to manage their belongings
Taking into consideration the different personalities of our household members when it comes to clutter and organization
Getting started: how to know what to get rid of

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

Thank you to our sponsors!

TOUPS AND CO ORGANICS | Use code FARMHOUSE at ToupsandCo.com

BLOGGING SUCCESS MASTERCLASS | Visit bit.ly/FarmhouseBloggingSchool

RESOURCES MENTIONED

The Clutter Fix by Shannon Acheson

50 Things You Should Throw Away Today + Free Printable Checklist by Shannon Acheson

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162. Cozy Christmas Episode: Handmade Gifts, Family Traditions, Savoring the Season | Nicole of Frontier Dreams Dec 08, 2022

Show notes

If you are craving that cozy, sacred feeling that comes along with the Christmas season, you will definitely want to join Nicole and me for this conversation about all things cozy Christmas. On her Instagram, Nicole shares so beautifully about the creativity and joy of living a simple, homemade life. In this conversation, we chat all about making the most out of these colder months and the winter holidays– what we do on long evenings at home, how we celebrate Christmas with our families, what we are excited about in the kitchen. Nicole has a wealth of ideas for unique family traditions surrounding Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, and more. I know this episode will get your wheels turning about new ways to celebrate the season in your own home, just like it did for me.

In this episode, we cover:

- Simple and affordable handmade Christmas ideas for children and adults

- A few details you can add to easily elevate a handmade gift

- How we approach gift giving within our own families

- Incorporating handmade gifts into holiday traditions

- Ideas for Christmas traditions that help your family slow down and savor the season

- Nicole and her family’s plans for going off-grid next year

- Learning new skills over the winter months by reading both fiction and nonfiction

- Creative ways to embrace winter with your family even if you don’t enjoy the cold weather

- Favorite seasonal foods and winter recipes

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

Thank you to our sponsors!

TOUPS AND CO ORGANICS | Use code FARMHOUSE at ToupsandCo.com

SCHOOL OF TRADITIONAL SKILLS | Use my link bit.ly/FarmhouseSkills

BLOGGING SUCCESS MASTERCLASS | Visit bit.ly/FarmhouseBloggingSchool

CONNECT

Nicole Spring of Frontier Dreams | Blog | Instagram

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161. Decluttering Before the Holidays + How to Have a Minimalist Christmas | Dawn of The Minimal Mom Dec 01, 2022

Show notes

The joy of giving and receiving gifts is such a beautiful part of Christmas, but this time of year can quickly leave our homes overflowing with clutter. Dawn of The Minimal Mom joined me earlier this year on the podcast to chat about decluttering and minimalism, and you all loved our conversation, so I knew this topic would be a perfect opportunity for Dawn to join me on the podcast again! We chat about making Christmas fun and exciting for our families without getting caught up in the accumulation of stuff. But don’t let the word “minimal” fool you; this discussion is less about how minimally decorated our homes look and more about how truly peaceful our homes feel. If you are ready to embrace the upcoming holiday season without the stress and overwhelm, this conversation is for you!

In this episode, we cover:

The secret to making your home feel festive for Christmas without going overboard
How minimalism benefits everyone in the home
How you know it’s time to get rid of a certain toy
Giving our kids the lifelong skill of learning how to manage their stuff
Preparing your family for Christmas so you don’t end up drowning in clutter
Why our kids’ view of stuff is different than past generations
Shifting our mindset around what makes Christmas truly meaningful
Helping our kids through comparison and disappointment at Christmas
Inspiration for family experiences that can make the holidays memorable
How to navigate receiving gifts that you don’t want to keep in your home
Number one strategy for staying on top of clutter around the holidays
How to know if you have too much stuff

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

Thank you to our sponsors!

TOUPS AND CO ORGANICS | Use code FARMHOUSE at ToupsandCo.com

BLOGGING SUCCESS MASTERCLASS | Visit bit.ly/FarmhouseBloggingSchool

AMERICAN BLOSSOM LINENS | Use code BOONE22 at AmericanBlossmLinens.com

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Decluttering by Faith by Dawn Madsen and Diana Kokku

Dawn’s interview with Dr. John Deloney about the link between anxiety and clutter

CONNECT

Join us in the Simple Farmhouse Life Facebook community!

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160. Overcoming Fear in Motherhood | Jennifer Pepito of The Peaceful Press Nov 23, 2022

Show notes

Nearly every mother experiences fear throughout her parenting journey. As Jennifer and I discuss in this episode, there are often new fears that emerge at every stage of parenthood. We may fear failing our kids or fear for their safety, but the reality is that fear creates a suffocating environment in our homes. As a long-time homeschooling mother of seven, Jennifer shares her journey of recognizing the impact of fear on her family and how she used the power of story to overcome it. This is such a rich, grace-filled conversation meant to encourage you as you fight fear and embrace joy in your mothering.

In this episode, we cover:

How fears in motherhood change from season to season
The most common sources of our fears as mothers
Transforming our families by exchanging the power of fear for the power of joy
Using the power of story of overcome fears
The gifts we give our children by prioritizing reading aloud as a family
Creating an environment in which our kids can pursue their unique interests
Reconnecting to our own passions and interests in the midst of mothering
How mothers can model a life of joy in our homes
What to read and how to create time for reading aloud

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

Thank you to our sponsors!

TOUPS AND CO ORGANICS | Use code FARMHOUSE at ToupsandCo.com

AZURE STANDARD | Use code FARMHOUSE10 at AzureStandard.com

Please see full show notes for more details on these offers.

RESOURCES

Mothering by the Book: The Power of Reading Aloud to Overcome Fear and Recapture Joy by Jennifer Pepito

Audiobook resources: Libby, Librivox, Audible, Storynory

CONNECT

Jennifer Pepito of The Peaceful Press | Website | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest

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159. Simple, Affordable, and Cozy Christmas Decor | Emily of Handmade Farmhouse Nov 17, 2022

Show notes

I love talking about home decor on my podcast every now and then because I think it is such a beautiful part of being a homemaker. As the Christmas season quickly approaches, I am excited to bring you this conversation all about cultivating elegance and beauty in your home for Christmas without spending a fortune. Emily of Handmade Farmhouse has a way of adding beautiful touches to everything she does, so I knew she would lend the perfect inspiration to this conversation. This episode is FULL of practical ideas, simple DIYs, and affordable ways to bring the magic and wonder of Christmas to your home this season.

In this episode, we cover:

How Emily and her husband built their own home from scratch
Creating family traditions around Christmas decorating
Ideas for decorating your space with functional items that serve a festive purpose
Finding a theme for your Christmas decor in unexpected places
A few staple decor items you can use year after year
One simple home decor piece you can use to elevate your Christmas look
Rethinking and rearranging your existing furniture and decor at Christmas time
How the color of your lighting can change the atmosphere of a space
Surprisingly simple ideas for Christmas decor on a budget
Mantel decor inspiration that transitions well from Christmas to January
Using faux wrapped gifts to spruce up your decor
Changing up your tree decorations from year to year
Keeping the Christmas season simple and focusing on what matters most