Everyone has a homesteading gateway: two things that send them down the homesteading path: why you care and a seemingly easy step.
For me, the reason I cared was because we realized my husband’s eczema was triggered by salicylic acid, which is in almost everything: most vegetables and fruits, spices, things with preservatives, and most soaps and lotions. He has a very small list of foods and home goods he can use without having his hands break out.
The easy step that sent me down the path was yogurt. I had an Instant Pot with a yogurt button, and I saw people showing how easy it was. I suppose cheaper food was also a motivator for us, but I decided to give it a try. And it was so easy. It’s now a 1-2 week regular restock for us, and while my husband isn’t big on yogurt, he does love frozen yogurt, which is great because I jumped on the creamy trend, and so it’s a regular breakfast and dessert option for the family.
Thankfully, my husband isn’t picky, and he’s fine just eating some meat for dinner. But the kids like having family dinners where everyone eats the same thing, so I’ve slowly learned how to cook a variety of “inspired by” foods that taste good and his eczema can handle.
I also started this as a mom working a full-time job outside the house, getting our homestead started, and managing a laundry list of other things. So, if you’ve wanted to start the homesteading life but feel like you don’t have time, it’s easier than you think to start simple and add on until you have healthy parts of life built in.
This is a place for me to start talking about some of the things I’m working through with my family and to have a space to discuss anything life brings my way. If you dig deep enough on the blog, you can see how much life has changed through the many years this blog has existed. I hope you find something to help you along your wonderfully weird life, wherever you may be and wherever you may be going.