One Project Done

I have officially completed one project of Operation Get Rid of Stuff, aka, clean house. It feels so great! Last night M and I went through the last of the books and now have about 3.5 book shelves full of books instead of the 6 before. Huge difference. Now we have things that matter to us on display on the bookshelves in our dining room and it makes the whole living space feel more like us.

Tonight we are going to sell a few bags of them and then try to sell the rest this weekend when we have more time. We have a lot of books to sell and I don't think they will all fit in my Bug. So tonight is stage one and this weekend will be stage two.

It is great having all this extra space and every time I get rid of something I feel a little bit more like I own my stuff instead of the other way around. I have done a few more projects around the house but the books were by far the biggest accomplishment.

All the money we get from the books will go into our savings for buying our own little plot of land. Homesteading is just one step closer.

My Goat Obsession

Let me start out saying that I used to hate goats. Abhorred them. I thought they were mean spirited and just out to cause little children pain. This was of course after seeing my younger sister get head butted in the stomach just for wanting to pet his once cute face. My whole family was scarred after that.

Then a few months back I started reading books about self-sustainability and homesteading because I wanted to be able to support myself if ever the need rose. Especially since I was also learning about the increasing dangers from the food products in the stores. Well in one of the books this woman went on and on about how wonderful her goats were and how she wondered how she lived without them. She had mini goats for her backyard in the suburbs. It was my first re-introduction to goats. The book peaked my interest beyond what I thought possible.

I kept reading. Finding tidbits of information in all sorts of sources. Mostly a small chapter here and there in the overall picture of starting a hobby farm. But about a week ago I finally got the courage up to go to the library and check out their shelves for books on goats and homesteading. I have read more about them and realize they are the perfect animal for me when I do get enough land to have a few. And that is the problem, you need a few. The goat of my childhood was all by him lonesome and I realize now that he was just grumpy and lonely and didn't know how to socialize. He was one of the only animals left on the farm and it was a cruel joke by the farmer to keep him all by his lonesome in a small pen. I realize now, that is why the goat was so mean. It was not his fault at all but his owner. The person who was suppose to take care of him and socialize with him and play with him constantly (since we was all alone.)

Anyways, I digress. Goats are lovable creatures with so many uses as I am finding out. They can give fiber for making yarn and fabric out of (cashmere and mohair anyone!), the females can give tons of milk to make healthy whole milk, butter, cheeses, skin creams, the list goes on and on. They can also be a great source of meat since it is so lean and still grass fed. But it isn't just what they can give us. They can eat just about anything growing out on the prairie or grass fields. Thistle, grass, weeds of all sorts, plants, woody plants, just about anything. Talk about cleaning up the place.

I am learning more and more everyday about barnyard animals and honestly I just see goats as a great addition to my family when the time comes.

Living The Quiet Life

Today I am sitting at my desk dreaming. Dreaming of a quiet life out in the country someplace where I can devote my time to writing and crafting and making our house a home. Is this a possibility right now? No. I can't have a home out in the country, not right now anyways, but that doesn't mean I can't bring that simple life to me and you can't do the same.

I have been thinking a lot lately and I have been trying to make my life as simple as possible. This past summer I planted  a small flower garden in the plot of land right next to my apartment. Now most of the flowers are starting to wilt and I need to do more work in it to make it ready for winter but I am looking forward to that work. To get everything ready for a beautiful spring I know I will enjoy this coming year. I have included a picture below of the little herb garden I had but now has been cut down for fall.

It really helped me feel more connected to the earth again, something I found I had been missing quiet badly since moving to the city and struggling with apartment life. However, this isn't the only step I have done to get that homesteading feel inside the city. I have started to buy little things to make our apartment move of a home. I brought in warm neutrals instead of the blue couches (slip covers at Target are a wonderful thing and much cheaper than most places) knitted some pillow covers and started clearing out the clutter. Our living room used to be a catch all for all my crafts and still is but I am getting better at making sure to store the projects I am not working on so that it keeps the space feeling more open and less hectic.

I have also been really trying to throw out a bunch of items that Michael and I really just don't need. I will admit it. I am a recovering Pack Rat. I will be the first to say but once you start liberating yourself from stuff you realize how much it was weighing you down. Now I am not saying you have to go completely minimalist because for most of us that is not possible but cut down on the stuff you haven't even touched in a year, or more. I know I was/still am guilty of having snippets of fabric and bits of cheap yarn from years ago that I finally threw away. If I need it, I can buy it again. No point in keeping it for the potential use I might have for it five years down the road. I faced the facts, I haven't used it in the three years that I moved out of my parents house, I am not going to need it five years from now. And if I do, then I will face that ship when it comes into dock.

Why am I sharing this? Because I know how hard it can be to see such a task in front of you. I want to live on a homestead out in the country but I can't because I can't afford land or a house, let alone to quit my job and move away. You probably can't either. However there are little things you can do to find time to adapt it into your life. To get small steps closer to your dream.

I, personally, have started doing more home projects and re-found my love for cooking. My next step is to spend a day a month making homemade bread and freezing the extras. This isn't possible for all people but think of other ways you can change your life in the small ways to find your dreams. Do you want to have a garden but live in an apartment? Buy some pots and have herbs for the winter in the kitchen. And trust me if you have never gardened before most likely they are all going to die (I have killed many a plant over my years and still do). Don't get discouraged, keep trying and do different things until you find what works for you.

Do you want to save money on food to help you save for the future? Try something which I am trying to do by making things from scratch. Not only does it help you save money but it also keeps all the gross chemicals and preservatives out of your food. It is a large grocery bill at first but you will notice how long those things last and how much money you are saving in the long run.

I love to knit. I have been trying to knit as many things for the house as possible. I have knitted tons of dishcloths and 90% of all the scarves I own. Knitting for me adds character to my home and also helps me keep busy instead of just sitting on my butt. Well okay, I sit on my butt when I knit but I think you know what I mean. It keeps me busy even on down time. It helps me relax and it makes beautiful things in the mean time.

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These are only a few things you can do. Try picking up sewing, or quilting or even painting. Try making some of your own jewelry. Try your hand at homemade bread, or trying to eat out less and make more at home.

I would love to hear about your progress and what you do to make your life filled with that quiet joy of simple living.

The Front Coat Closet - Oh The Nightmare

Oh the nightmare is right. This closet is a mess. Coats flung in there in no neat organized matter, the top shelf just cluttered with anything that will fit up there that doesn't have a home. And the floor? I didn't know the floor could get so cluttered either. Good thing it has been summer and I haven't had to go in there for anything.

See what I mean? It is a mess. Oh big pile of mess on top of mess. 

Goals:

Have the closet a nice organized place where gloves, hats, scarves are in easy, organized access. Coats organized by person and on nice hangers. See what needs to be dry cleaned and have it done. 

Plans to Achieve Goals:

Take all coats out of the closet. What do we still use? What can be donated to a family that actually needs it? Take everything out of the closet. Sort out what is closet items and what are not. Make pile of dry clean items to be brought in to be cleaned. Find baskets to hold mittens, scarves, and hats (basket for each). Figure out something to do with the extra shoes in the closet (donate, store, etc)

End Result:

Wow. What a difference! 

I have yet to dry clean the coats or put them in a different pile even but the difference is amazing. I cleaned all the crap, and lets face it most of it was crap, out from the closet and put it on my stack of "Need To Sort Out." I then took the box that was hats and mittens and went through them and sorted them out by if they were hats, scarves and mittens/gloves. I then neatly folded them all and put them in a corresponding bins. I then cleaned out all the clutter and threw most of it away because it was just that clutter. Something things I forgot I had and most things I went "Why the hell did I keep that?" I much happier with this current closet and so much more organized. I have things to donate and I have things still that I need to sort through but my closet is looking much better.

Next task, master bedroom closet. At least it doesn't look at bad as this closet started out. 

My Cleaning Secret

Now I cannot claim to say this secret is just my own or that I have been using it forever. My secret is Vinegar. There I said it. I told you the great and powerful secret. Honestly though it is one of the best things I have ever used. And I want to tell you the reasons why I love it.

1. It is vinegar, you ingest it. It is safe for anyone, it is safe for around pets, it is safe around kids, it is perfectly and wonderfully safe
2. It is so darrrrrrn cheap. And when I mean cheap I mean you can get a gallon of it for less than $5 dollars and it lasts you close to forever. 
3. You only need a little bit and some love to make it go a long way. 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water is my solution. I have heard you can use less you can use more, depending on what you are cleaning. Use what you find works the best for you. I even put a few drops of essential oil in mine so that when I am cleaning it doesn't have such a strong vinegar smell. But honestly you get used to it so quickly, on your second bottle you probably won't even need to use the essential oil. 
4. It cleans everything! And I do mean everything. Counters, bathrooms, sinks, grime, soap scum. I use it for everything except windows. I am still trying to find a solution for windows because Vinegar can be a little harsh on glass. But that same thing that makes it bad for glass makes it great for everything else. It's acid. The acid kills the mold and fungal bacteria because of its high acid content. 
5. The smell disappears when it dries. Truly. I didn't believe it when I first tired it either but when it dries it really doesn't smell at all. And much much better for you than bleach or ammonia or whatever other horrible chemicals are in the standard cleaning solutions.

I literally do use vinegar on almost everything (besides my windows.) And honestly I will never go back to harsh chemicals ever again for my basic cleaning. It was the best secret find that I have ever come across.

Try it and tell me what you think. I would love to hear from you about your cleaning secrets or your first attempts at using vinegar!