Finding Your Circle When the Fields Feel Lonely

Finding Your Circle When the Fields Feel Lonely
This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links, with NO additional cost to you. 
 
When the world seems to crumble, community becomes crucial. I’ve walked in the shoes of a farm wife, trying to keep everything together while finances unravel. Our struggles aren’t just about keeping the farm running; it’s about keeping our families and ourselves from falling apart. If you’re feeling alone, know that you’re not. There are ways to find others who understand and can genuinely support you.
The Power of Community for Farm Wives
Being a farm wife can be isolating. We often shoulder burdens others can’t comprehend. Yet, building a support network is essential. You need people who can lend a physical hand, offer emotional encouragement, and keep you wrapped in prayer. Let's explore how to cultivate these vital relationships.
Physical Support on the Farm
Running a farm is more than just planting crops and feeding animals. It’s a full-time job that demands endless attention and labor. Building a support network means finding those willing to help with daily tasks, whether it’s childcare, managing finances, or handling farm duties.
First, look within your community—are there neighbors who understand farming and can lend a hand during harvest? Maybe they can help watch your kids or share equipment. This mutual aid strengthens bonds and eases everyday pressures.
Local agricultural groups can also be a resource, offering assistance and knowledge exchange. It’s surprising how many people are willing to step up when you reach out and share your situation.
Emotional Encouragement and Empathy
It’s essential to connect with people who know the emotional toll of farming life. Strangers might see the picturesque countryside, but we see the worry behind every sunset. Find groups where you can vent and be heard, where someone always has a shoulder and wise words.
Church groups or local support groups can be ideal places to meet others who are spiritually-minded and can provide the empathy needed during tough times. When people can relate to your struggles, their encouragement becomes a lifeline.
Wrapping Up in Prayer and Reflection
Faith can be a powerful source of strength. Having prayerful companions ensures you’re spiritually grounded. Farm life often throws unexpected challenges, and having a group praying for your strength and clarity can be comforting.
Seek out women’s Bible study groups or prayer circles. These gatherings not only provide spiritual support but also foster deep, meaningful friendships with others who prioritize faith in their lives.
Connecting with Peers and Mentors
Building a diverse support network means including both peers and mentors. Peers share your current challenges, while mentors bring the wisdom of having overcome them. Their insights can guide you through tricky farm management or personal hardships.
Don’t hesitate to join online forums or social media groups focused on farm life. They can be valuable platforms for sharing tips and receiving advice from seasoned farm wives who’ve faced similar trials.
Tapping into Online Communities
Digital spaces can be a treasure trove for finding like-minded individuals. Platforms like Facebook have groups dedicated to farm wives where experiences and solutions are shared freely. These communities provide both anonymity and camaraderie.
Participating in virtual meetups or webinars can also introduce you to new perspectives and coping strategies, helping you feel less isolated in your rural corner of the world.
Building Practical Skills and Knowledge
A big part of feeling secure is having the skills to manage what you can. Consider taking courses in financial planning, farming techniques, or even home management. Many organizations offer free or affordable resources aimed at empowering farm families.
Skill-building not only boosts your confidence but also equips you to handle unexpected challenges with grace and foresight.
Creating a Home Base of Comfort
Your home should be a sanctuary. Focus on creating a space where you and your family can recharge and connect. Simple touches like family meals or a cozy reading nook can make all the difference in lifting spirits.
Remember, home is where the heart is, and nurturing it can be a source of strength and stability in chaotic times.
Fostering Open Communication
Encourage open dialogue with your family about the challenges and victories you face. Keeping communication lines open ensures everyone feels involved and supported.
Share your dreams and worries with your spouse—they’re your partner in this life. Together, you’re stronger and can face any storm that threatens your farm or family.
Taking Time for Personal Reflection
Never underestimate the power of reflection. Set aside time each day to journal, meditate, or simply sit in quiet contemplation. This practice helps you process emotions and gain clarity amidst the chaos. Even if it is quite time feeding animals, weeding the garden or milking the cows. 
Reflection is a vital tool for personal growth and resilience. It’s a reminder that while the farm is important, so too is your mental and emotional well-being.
Encouraging Resilience and Growth
Life on the farm is unpredictable, but resilience is your greatest ally. Celebrate small victories and learn from setbacks. Every challenge is an opportunity for growth, and your perseverance inspires those around you.
Stay committed to your vision for a thriving farm and family. With each hurdle overcome, you’re stepping closer to that dream.
Resources and Next Steps
Don’t hesitate to seek out additional resources tailored for farm families. Many agricultural extensions offer workshops, and nonprofit organizations specialize in rural support services. These can be invaluable for ongoing education and community building.
Consider reaching out to a local farm help line or cooperative extension service for guidance and support options available in your area.
Building a support network as a farm wife isn’t an overnight task, but it’s worth every ounce of effort. By surrounding yourself with understanding, empathetic, and practical people, you create a resilient foundation for your family and farm.
Remember, you’re not alone in this journey. Reach out, connect, and draw strength from the many others who share your path. Together, you can transform challenges into opportunities, nurturing a life that’s not just about survival but about thriving.
Take the next step by joining a local group or reaching out to an online community today. Your future self will thank you. I created the Thriving Through Farm Distress group just for women like you. You can join using the link below. 
 
Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Thriving Through Farm Distress: Wife’s Support Network! In our community, we embrace the challenges of farm life and provide a supportive space for wives facing the complexities of managing a family farm. Whether you're navigating financial pressures, day-to-day operations, or seeking ways to create a thriving home, we're here for you. Explore gardening tips for cultivating your own oasis, share insights on animal care, and discover practical family budgeting strategies. Together, let's grow through challenges, flourish authentically, and sow the seeds for a resilient and thriving farm life. Join us on this journey of resilience and abundance! 
 
As I've grown in my journey as an entrepreneur, mom, gardener, and livestock owner, I struggled to find a planner that met my needs and kept me organized. So, I MADE MY OWN. You can look at it on the link below and buy it on amazon below.
Don't want the whole calendar part? I got you! I pulled the gardening and animal care pages out and put them in a book all their own. 
 
Starting to garden doesn't have to be hard! I gathered all the tips I've learned over my gardening learning curve and made them into a simple course to jump start your gardening your life. 
 
Supporting Your Family Naturally from the Inside Out community!! This community is for Mommas, looking to Support Your Family from Nature for Wellness. Tips range from nutrition, herbals, detoxing, natural cleaning, and essential oils. Basically, all the things I’ve learned slowly over the past 5+ years of my journey. We have moved off Facebook, to better serve our community and be able to discuss openly options for providing for your family in the best way possible.
 
Join the FREE Community
 
I've had 3 very different pregnancies. After the first traumatic birth, I learned better and how to care for my body naturally and prevent common pregnancy and birth problems before they arise. This quick course will get you the tools you need to have a naturally healthy pregnancy, labor, and delivery. My first pregnancy I had a normal western medicine all the things pregnancy. My second? I flipped to completely natural, no medicine. Bonus: Preventing Preeclampsia Without the Aspirin & Healing from Birth Trauma

The Importance of a Good Night's Sleep

The Importance of a Good Night's Sleep
This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links, with NO additional cost to you. 

We all know how important it is to get a good night's sleep. But did you know that sleep is actually essential for your health? That's right, when you sleep your body is able to heal and repair itself. So, if you're not getting enough rest, you're putting your health at risk.

Why Sleep is Important
As we mentioned before, sleep is essential for our health. When we sleep our bodies are able to repair and heal themselves. This means that if we're not getting enough rest, we're putting our health at risk. Not only that, but when we're well rested we're able to think more clearly and be more productive. That's because our brains are better able to function when we're well rested.

How Sleep Helps the Body Heal
During sleep, your body gets rid of toxins and heals itself. According to the National Sleep Foundation, sleep helps the body heal by:

-Reducing inflammation: Inflammation is a natural process that helps the body heal from injury or infection. However, chronic inflammation can lead to health problems such as heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes. Getting enough rest can help reduce inflammation.
- preparing immune cells for action: When you sleep, your body produces cytokines—proteins that fight off infection and promotesleep. Cytokines help defend your body against foreign invaders such as bacteria and viruses.  getting enough rest can help prepare immune cells for action and protect against illnesses such as the flu or common cold. 
- repairing tissue damage:Sleep gives your body time to repair tissue damage caused by factors such as stress, UV rays, and pollution. During deep sleep, your body produces human growth hormone (HGH), which helps repair cell damage inflicted during the day.  regular restsaid allows your body ample time to make repairs so you can wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.
- Regulating hunger hormones: Ghrelin and leptin are two hormones that regulate hunger and appetite. Ghrelin signals the body when it’s time to eat, while leptin tells the brain when to stop eating. When you don’t get enough sleep, levels of ghrelin increase while levels of leptin decrease—this can lead to overeating or cravings for unhealthy foods.  getting enough rest can help regulate these hormones and prevent overeating or poor food choices.

How Much Sleep Do You Need?
Most experts recommend that adults get between 7 and 8 hours of sleep per night. However, there are some people who need more or less than that. infants, for example, usually need between 12 and 16 hours of sleep per day. And as we get older, we tend to need less sleep. For example, older adults usually only need around 7 or 8 hours of sleep per day. 

In conclusion, there are many reasons why getting a good night's sleep is important for both physical and mental health. If you're not getting enough rest, your body, and therefore your health, will suffer in many ways. To avoid this, make sure to set aside enough time each day for a full night's sleep. Your body will thank you for it!


As I've grown in  my journey as an entrepreneur, mom, gardener, and livestock owner, I struggled to find a planner that met my needs and kept me organized. So I MADE MY OWN. You can take a look at it on the link blow and buy it on amazon below
Don't want the whole calendar part? I got you! I pulled the gardening and animal care pages out and put them in a book all their own. 

Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Helping Your Family Homestead for Food group! This community is for the Mommas, looking to stay home and raise their kids, but unsure how to keep everyone fed and make ends meet. I share tips from my journey from the office, to half the income and feeding my family from home, while maintaining good nourishing food. Tips include: gardening, bulk buying, caning,/preserving, livestock, homesteading, and home remedies. Your family is precious and this group is to help you gain the knowledge and tools to keep your family well and not reliant on outside professionals. Remedies and tips are easy and simple for the busy momma, time is precious after all, including pregnancy, birth, young kids, and illness. Trust your Momma gut again! This community offers the resources + community you need to help get started on your journey and prepare for whatever future you envision. 
 
Starting to garden doesn't have to be hard! I gathered all the tips I've learned over my gardening learning curve and made them into a simple course to jump start your gardening your life. 

Supporting Your Family Naturally From the Inside Out community!! This community is for the Mommas, looking  to Support Your Family from Nature for Wellness. Tips range from nutrition, herbals, detoxing, natural cleaning, and essential oils. Basically all the things I’ve learned slowly over the past 5+ years if my journey. We have moved off Facebook, so to better serve our community and be able to discuss openly option for providing for your family in the best way possible.
Join the FREE Community

I've had 3 very different pregnancies. After the first traumatic birth, I learned better and how to care for my body naturally and prevent common pregnancy and birth problems before they arise. This quick course will get you the tools you need to have a naturally healthy pregnancy, labor, and delivery. My first pregnancy I had a normal western medicine all the things pregnancy. My second? I flipped to completely natural, no medicine. Bonus: Preventing Preeclampsia Without the Aspirin & Healing from Birth Trauma

Click here to get the stories straight to your email:
 
For more on wellness tips click here:
 
For more on homesteading on your budget click here:
 
For more simple DIY updates click here:




My easy button for home supplies

My easy button for home supplies
This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links, with NO additional cost to you. 
 
                                                  
As a busy mom, running business, and living rural, I am all for easy buttons. If I can get the quality I’m looking for, delivered to me, you bet I’m going to take it. No loading the kids up, there’s 3 of them. No burning gas to driving to a big store. No dragging the kids through the store asking for everything they see. I’ll take the products delivered, Thank you. 
 
I do enjoy shopping local and like to patronize local stores as much as possible. But as I said, I live rural. My local town is 300 people. But they do have nice stores. As our family has evolved and shifted our health and diet needs, some of those things I cannot get at the local store. That is where I must either go to a city, HyVee is 1.5 hours away and Walmart 1 hour. Or I can have them delivered. 
 
As I have continued my own journey in being proactive with our health, I have become quite picky on what products I bring into my home. I do not want synthetics, parabens, chemicals, and endocrine disruptors. News flash, most products sold on store shelves contain those. You can read more on the complete list and where they are commonly found, in this past blog post  .
 
One of the brands I have come to love, and trust is the Young Living brand. They are not all essential oils! They have quite a few home products as well. All plant based, nontoxic, and chemical free. The scents are from truly pure essential oils, and they are all listed on the labels (no sketchy fragrance secrete). And they have a subscription program! 
 
Some of my favorites that are routinely in my monthly box are below. No, they are not all in there every month. In the list is also about how often I order them. Clicking the name will take you straight to the product. 
 
  • Ningxia Red: A tasty juice puree, packed full of nutrients. I can mix this into a hot tea in the cool days or add some club soda for a fizzy drink in the warm weather. I order 4 bottles every month. 
 
  • Thieves household cleaner: I use this for everything! Counters, floors, mirrors, stain buster, de-grimmer, laundry booster, and I’m sure more I’m forgetting. I buy the big bottle about 1 once per year. 
 
  • Toothpaste: the whitening is my husband’s favorite, the KidScentsis the kids. I buy a tube about every 3-4 months or less.
 
 
  • Body Wash: For me I like to use the Bath & Shower Gel Base, then I can change the scent up using the oils I have. I buy 1 bottle every year and mix it into a foam pump bottle. 
 
  • Laundry soap: I split this bottle into 4 and buy one every 6 months or so. 
 
  • Hand soap: I prefer the thieves soap and buy the refill bottle every 6 months or so. 
 
 
As I've grown in  my journey as an entrepreneur, mom, gardener, and livestock owner, I struggled to find a planner that met my needs and kept me organized. So I MADE MY OWN. You can take a look at it on the link blow and buy it on amazon below
Don't want the whole calendar part? I got you! I pulled the gardening and animal care pages out and put them in a book all their own. 

Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Helping Your Family Homestead for Food group! This community is for the Mommas, looking to stay home and raise their kids, but unsure how to keep everyone fed and make ends meet. I share tips from my journey from the office, to half the income and feeding my family from home, while maintaining good nourishing food. Tips include: gardening, bulk buying, caning,/preserving, livestock, homesteading, and home remedies. Your family is precious and this group is to help you gain the knowledge and tools to keep your family well and not reliant on outside professionals. Remedies and tips are easy and simple for the busy momma, time is precious after all, including pregnancy, birth, young kids, and illness. Trust your Momma gut again! This community offers the resources + community you need to help get started on your journey and prepare for whatever future you envision. 
 
Starting to garden doesn't have to be hard! I gathered all the tips I've learned over my gardening learning curve and made them into a simple course to jump start your gardening your life. 

Supporting Your Family Naturally From the Inside Out community!! This community is for the Mommas, looking  to Support Your Family from Nature for Wellness. Tips range from nutrition, herbals, detoxing, natural cleaning, and essential oils. Basically all the things I’ve learned slowly over the past 5+ years if my journey. We have moved off Facebook, so to better serve our community and be able to discuss openly option for providing for your family in the best way possible.
Join the FREE Community

I've had 3 very different pregnancies. After the first traumatic birth, I learned better and how to care for my body naturally and prevent common pregnancy and birth problems before they arise. This quick course will get you the tools you need to have a naturally healthy pregnancy, labor, and delivery. My first pregnancy I had a normal western medicine all the things pregnancy. My second? I flipped to completely natural, no medicine. Bonus: Preventing Preeclampsia Without the Aspirin & Healing from Birth Trauma

Click here to get the stories straight to your email:
 
For more on wellness tips click here:
 
For more on homesteading on your budget click here:
 
For more simple DIY updates click here:



What does a toxin free life look like?

What does a toxin free life look like?
This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links, with NO additional cost to you. 
 
Last week I talked about what changes when you to go a toxin free lifestyle. You can read that here. This week I am going to focus on what exactly that looks like in day to day life.
 
The day to day really doesn’t have to look much different than what it did before. The difference comes in the products you buy and the things you choose to bring into your home. When you shop you will become an expert label reader on all products.
 
When shopping for personal care products or home cleaning supplies, you avoid things with fragrance or SLS or other words you are unfamiliar with. You can get more information on specific ingredients to avoid here.
 
You will begin to care about where your food comes from. Some rice actually contain heavy medals from past growing practices. The boxed processed foods you used to buy you find are full of dyes and fillers. Empty calories that fill you up, but don’t feed your body. You realize fresh is truly best for your system and try and grow what food you can.
 
You begin to avoid anything synthetic. Including dyes, plastics, polyester, etc. You start to do things the old fashioned way. Making your own, going without, or finding alternatives. Glass is king in your home for storage.
 
You learn how best to support your body from the inside out. With real nutrition. You build your family up and give them what they need to thrive, instead of fighting. You learn how to help the body eliminate the toxins you were exposed to.
 
Truth is without completely isolating yourself from the modern world, toxins are unavoidable. But minimizing the day to day exposure will help your body detox the exposures. How far you choose to go on the toxin free lifestyle is completely up to you.
 
 
Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Courageous + Purposeful Mommas group! This community is for the Mommas, mommas to be, in the midst of raising, and kids grown, looking for tips on building your family up and providing for them through natural methods. Tips include: gardening, bulk buying, caning,/preserving, livestock, homesteading, and home remedies. Your family is precious, and this group is to help you gain the knowledge and tools to keep your family well and not reliant on outside professionals. Remedies and tips are easy and simple for the busy momma, time is precious after all, including pregnancy, birth, young kids, and illness. Trust your Momma gut again! This community offers the resources + community you need to help get started on your journey and prepare for whatever future you envision.
 
Click here to get the stories straight to your email:
 
For more on wellness tips click here:
 
For more on homesteading on your budget click here:
 
For more simple DIY updates click here:
 

What are some home remedies for homesteaders?

What are some home remedies for homesteaders?

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links, with NO additional cost to you. 

 

At some point you will injure yourself or get sick. It is part of life. You don’t need to run to the doctor for everything, and you don’t have to run out and buy an over-the-counter salve or medicine. There are several remedies you can grow, forage, and make yourself. This will be a brief overview, as each category could be an entire blog itself.  Read all the way to the end for my best owie slave recipe. 

 

First prevention is the best medicine. Feeding your body what it needs to fight off and heal itself before you become symptomatic ill. The best way to do this is to eat good food that nourishes your body. Avoiding processed foods and sugar is the biggest tips. Eating a much of a whole food diet as you can is the next. 

 

Herbals are my next line of defense. This includes essential oils. Essential oils are essentially concentrated versions of the herbs. Quality matters here, especially when using them for medicinal purposes. I use the essential oils to help build and support the body fighting off whatever infection and assist in the healing process. A favorite in our house as well are hot teas. Perfect herbal remedies to sip on when feeling sick. 

 

I buy my essential oils. I do not have the knowledge to properly distill them, so they have the most effectiveness. For my top pick on essential oil company for quality and experience, click here. The herbals for tea are a mix of purchased and home grown. Many herbs I simply do not have the ability to grow. So, I just need an easy button an buy a pre-mixed herbal blend.  Top herbs to keep on hand for illness, cinnamon, lemonbalm and lemongrass (bonus these also repel bugs when alive), clove, rosemary, and lemon. 

 

Tinctures I often use in conjunction with herbals. A tincture is a plant soaked in alcohol, then strained off. The benefit to these is they last nearly forever, where a dried herb is only good for 1-2 years. To use the tincture, a small amount of liquid is placed under the tongue and then held there for a few minutes. The herbs that are harder to acquire, or spoil quickly are made into tinctures for long term storage and use. 

 

The part I’m sure most of you have been waiting for! My homemade owie salve. I use this salve on all kinds of owies, from cuts, to abrasions, to diaper rashes, to burns (after it has cooled off and the outer skin is healing. The best part is it is easy to make and grow. The two herbs in this salve are Calendula petals and Plantain leaves. You’ll also need olive oil for infusing, and bees wax to make the actual salve. 

 

Step 1: Pick the calendula blossoms and plantain leaves on a warm sunny day (the resin is strongest then). Fill a glass jar with the leaves and blossoms, I like to pick them in about a 1:1 ratio. 

 

Step 2: Fill the jar with olive oil to 1 inch from the top. Run a butter knife around to remove the air bubbles. Place in a sunny spot and let it sit for 3-4 weeks. 

 

Step 3: Strain the oil through cheese cloth and squeeze out into a sauce pan. 

 

Step 4: Warm the oil slightly (DO NOT BOIL). Add most of the grated bees wax to the warmed oil (approximately ¼ c grated beeswax per 1 cup of oil). Stirring to mix. 

 

Step 5: As soon as the wax melts, put 1 Tablespoon of the mix on a plate and into the freezer for 1-2 minutes, until cool. 

 

Step 6: Check for consistency. For a firmer salve, add more bees wax, for a softer salve, add more oil. 

 

Step 7: Put the salve into small jars or tins and allow to cool

 

Step 8: Once cooled, tighten lids and store in a cool dark place for 1-2 years.  

 

 

 

Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Helping Your Family Homestead for Food group! This community is for the Mommas, looking to stay home and raise their kids, but unsure how to keep everyone fed and make ends meet. I share tips from my journey from the office, to half the income and feeding my family from home, while maintaining good nourishing food. Tips include: gardening, bulk buying, caning,/preserving, livestock, homesteading, and home remedies. Your family is precious and this group is to help you gain the knowledge and tools to keep your family well and not reliant on outside professionals. Remedies and tips are easy and simple for the busy momma, time is precious after all, including pregnancy, birth, young kids, and illness. Trust your Momma gut again! This community offers the resources + community you need to help get started on your journey and prepare for whatever future you envision. 

As I've grown in  my journey as an entrepreneur, mom, gardener, and livestock owner, I struggled to find a planner that met my needs and kept me organized. So I MADE MY OWN. You can take a look at it on the link blow and buy it on amazon below
Don't want the whole calendar part? I got you! I pulled the gardening and animal care pages out and put them in a book all their own. 

Starting to garden doesn't have to be hard! I gathered all the tips I've learned over my gardening learning curve and made them into a simple course to jump start your gardening your life. 

Supporting Your Family Naturally From the Inside Out community!! This community is for the Mommas, looking  to Support Your Family from Nature for Wellness. Tips range from nutrition, herbals, detoxing, natural cleaning, and essential oils. Basically all the things I’ve learned slowly over the past 5+ years if my journey. We have moved off Facebook, so to better serve our community and be able to discuss openly option for providing for your family in the best way possible.
Join the FREE Community

I've had 3 very different pregnancies. After the first traumatic birth, I learned better and how to care for my body naturally and prevent common pregnancy and birth problems before they arise. This quick course will get you the tools you need to have a naturally healthy pregnancy, labor, and delivery. My first pregnancy I had a normal western medicine all the things pregnancy. My second? I flipped to completely natural, no medicine. Bonus: Preventing Preeclampsia Without the Aspirin & Healing from Birth Trauma

Click here to get the stories straight to your email:
 
For more on wellness tips click here:
 
For more on homesteading on your budget click here:
 
For more simple DIY updates click here:



How to meal prep for busy seasons in 4 easy steps

How to meal prep for busy seasons in 4 easy steps
This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links, with NO additional cost to you. 

We all have busy seasons in our life. Sometimes we can know the seasons are coming up and plan accordingly. For us every fall is busier, as it is harvest time which means late nights, early-morning‘s, and many meals in the field. This fall is looking to be even busier as we prepare to welcome another child into our family.

So how do you prepare to feed your family healthy meals when you know you’re going to be busy or unable to cook? Short answer, you meal plan and prepare meals in advance that can be thrown into the oven or crock pot easily. How do you do that?
First start months in advance. It is recommended that freezer meals are good in the freezer for up to three months. So start three months ahead. 

Second, open your cookbooks and start listing the recipes that you could easily freeze. And most casseroles can easily be frozen for later use. Crock pot meals are easy to throw together in a freezer bag then dump in the crock-pot when ready too. 

Now that you have your list as you plan your meals over the next few months simply put 1 to 2 a week from your list on your menu. When you go to make them for your family that week, simply double the recipe. One you will put in a pan to make that night, the other you will put it in a freezer pan.  I like to use the disposable 9X13 pans for our family freezer meals. 

Once the meal in the freezer pan has cooled, wrap it in  plastic, followed by foil. Label with the meal, how long to cook it, at what temperature, and when it was made. Please note if it is frozen it will take about twice as long to cook compared to if it was thawed. 

I like to make a list of my freezer meals so I don’t have to dig through the freezer as much to find the meal I’m looking for. And then we can cross off once we’ve eaten it, keeping track of what is left easier.



Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Courageous + Purposeful Mommas group! This community is for the Mommas, mommas to be, in the midst of raising, and kids grown, looking for tips on building your family up and providing for them through natural methods. Tips include: gardening, bulk buying, caning,/preserving, livestock, homesteading, and home remedies. Your family is precious, and this group is to help you gain the knowledge and tools to keep your family well and not reliant on outside professionals. Remedies and tips are easy and simple for the busy momma, time is precious after all, including pregnancy, birth, young kids, and illness. Trust your Momma gut again! This community offers the resources + community you need to help get started on your journey and prepare for whatever future you envision.

Join the Free Community

 

Click here to get the stories straight to your email:

Sign up for the Blog

 

For more on wellness tips click here:

Sign up for Wellness tips

 

For more on homesteading on your budget click here:

Sign up for Homesteading Tips

 

For more simple DIY updates click here:

Sign up for easy DIYs 




Using fear for opportunity

Using fear for opportunity

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links, with NO additional cost to you. 

 

What is a fear you carry deep inside? One that not many may know about, but affects many of your everyday decisions? Me? That somehow there won’t be enough, and my family will be left short. 

 

Why does this affect my decisions? Because the last thing I want is for my family to be short somehow. Short of food, finances, or simply time. 

 

So what do I do? First, I try to not let the fear overtake me. I acknowledge that it is there, and then remind myself of all the ways God has continued to provide for us in the past. My heart calms, and I can clearly think towards my next step. I then thank God for His provision and ask that He continue to remind me when that fear comes up again. 

 

This fear has also been a motivator for me. When I started staying home, our income was drastically cut. While we would no longer be paying for daycare or as much in gas, we now had to pay our own insurance and the grocery bill would be increasing. How were we going to offset the cost?

 

I looked around. We already lived on an acreage. I had gardened some in the past, and was getting pretty good at it. Why not take it to the next level and have the garden provide as much of our food as we could! 

 

And so it began, in more earnest. I planted more of what I knew we would consume and less of the extra stuff. I learned how to preserve our food supply for the winter. I also started learning how to grow more of the vegetables my family liked, so we weren’t buying as much at the store. 

 

The garden is still expanding and growing. I use the winter to learn more about the next vegetable or fruit I want to grow. I take notes and perfect the methods for our farm. I’m playing with double cropping and starting a permaculture orchard now. 

 

What started as a fear of not being able to buy enough groceries, has turned into a huge garden with the potential to meet 80% (currently around 50%) of our family’s veggie and fruit needs when it is all mature. All this from not giving into the fear, but stepping back and looking for the opportunity in the fear. 

 



Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Courageous + Purposeful Mommas group! This community is for the Mommas, mommas to be, in the midst of raising, and kids grown, looking for tips on building your family up and providing for them through natural methods. Tips include: gardening, bulk buying, caning,/preserving, livestock, homesteading, and home remedies. Your family is precious, and this group is to help you gain the knowledge and tools to keep your family well and not reliant on outside professionals. Remedies and tips are easy and simple for the busy momma, time is precious after all, including pregnancy, birth, young kids, and illness. Trust your Momma gut again! This community offers the resources + community you need to help get started on your journey and prepare for whatever future you envision.

Join the Free Community

 

Click here to get the stories straight to your email:

Sign up for the Blog

 

For more on wellness tips click here:

Sign up for Wellness tips

 

For more on homesteading on your budget click here:

Sign up for Homesteading Tips

 

For more simple DIY updates click here:

Sign up for easy DIYs 


What does trusting your gut mean?

What does trusting your gut mean?

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links, with NO additional cost to you. 

 

How do you learn to trust your gut? What does trusting your gut even mean? Trusting your gut is that small voice or feeling inside that says something is right or wrong. It’s a small feeling that can easily be ignored, but when listened to, more often than not, is correct. 

 

We have been conditioned to think logically, ignore our feelings, and listen to the professionals. Here’s the problem with that. Professionals only know the average normal of a population. They do not know what your normal or your child’s normal is. 

 

So how do you learn to hear that small voice of intuition again? One moment at a time. I find that I have the biggest gut feelings, when a big decision is at hand. So often I have ignored the feeling that something wasn’t right, because logically and using reasoning everything made sense. 

 

I started learning to listen to and trust my gut again, by simply listening and tuning in. Did the situation feel right? Did something seem off, even a little bit. Does something seem to be missing? Many times it is a feeling that something just doesn’t seem right. I can’t put my finger on it or explain right away, but if I step back, investigate or wait, I find the answer. 

 

When it comes to my kids or me and seeking medical care, I tune in carefully. I press for answers, not just “it’s normal”. A good example is this spring I started bleeding abnormally. Concerned for my baby, I sought the expertise of my provider. It was recommended that I go in to be checked, because the color and amount of blood was concerning. After countless hours in the ER, baby was fine, but they weren’t sure why I was bleeding so heavily. So the next day we had follow up appointments with an OBGYN. We discussed possibilities, and had another ultrasound which revealed a large subchorionic hematoma laying fairly close to my cervix. At least we now knew what was the cause, but no one was sure why it happened in the first place. We still aren’t, though we have some suspicions. 

 

I pushed for answers, trusting my gut, which gave us answers and a direction. 

 

Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Courageous + Purposeful Mommas group! This community is for the Mommas, mommas to be, in the midst of raising, and kids grown, looking for tips on building your family up and providing for them through natural methods. Tips include: gardening, bulk buying, caning,/preserving, livestock, homesteading, and home remedies. Your family is precious, and this group is to help you gain the knowledge and tools to keep your family well and not reliant on outside professionals. Remedies and tips are easy and simple for the busy momma, time is precious after all, including pregnancy, birth, young kids, and illness. Trust your Momma gut again! This community offers the resources + community you need to help get started on your journey and prepare for whatever future you envision.

Join the Free Community

 

Click here to get the stories straight to your email:

Sign up for the Blog

 

For more on wellness tips click here:

Sign up for Wellness tips

 

For more on homesteading on your budget click here:

Sign up for Homesteading Tips

 

For more simple DIY updates click here:

Sign up for easy DIYs 


How to meal plan easily

How to meal plan easily

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links, with NO additional cost to you. 


As mommas, typically we are also incharge of the food in our home. Although sometimes this is the dad’s responsibility. Cooking has generally been my job, even when I was working away from home. Part of that is being married to a farmer. He comes home when the work is done or it is dark. 


One of my hardest week to week decisions is what to cook when. I have a few quick meals for when we’ve stayed outside too long, but those get old in a hurry if I don’t mix it up. So how do I mix it up and still keep everything spinning? Meal plan. Now how do you do that?


The best way I’ve found for me so far is a white board, cook books, and an inventory list (in my head usually or written), and 30 minutes. I’ve found the white board works great, because it is quick to look at and I can erase as I go or leave it there for next week if I didn’t actually make it. My meal plans are usually more like guides for the week so I have an idea what to make before everyone is hangry and we are eating rice again. 


Step 1. Take inventory of what you have in the pantry, keep it in your head, or write it down on a running list. 


Step 2. Grab your white board or planner (whatever to write your meals on), grocery list, cook books, and timer. 


Step 3. Set your timer for 30 minutes, it's a mental game that helps to keep you focused. 


Step 4. Open your cookbooks and start looking for recipes that stick out or sound good to you. Look at the ingredients. Make sure you have what you need or will be able to go to the store before you cook it. Anything you will need to buy, write on your grocery list. Write the recipe name on your meal plan with the page number. 


I like to cook once and reuse it if I can. Depending on the day and recipe whether that is supper or lunch meal. I then use the leftovers to make into other food, or add together for another meal. 


Simple and done for the week. The biggest help meal planning is to me is that I don’t have to think about what to cook when the time comes. I have my list and I can pull the meat the night before, so it speeds the cooking process up a bit. 





Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Courageous + Purposeful Mommas group! This community is for the Mommas, mommas to be, in the midst of raising, and kids grown, looking for tips on building your family up and providing for them through natural methods. Tips include: gardening, bulk buying, caning,/preserving, livestock, homesteading, and home remedies. Your family is precious, and this group is to help you gain the knowledge and tools to keep your family well and not reliant on outside professionals. Remedies and tips are easy and simple for the busy momma, time is precious after all, including pregnancy, birth, young kids, and illness. Trust your Momma gut again! This community offers the resources + community you need to help get started on your journey and prepare for whatever future you envision.

Join the Free Community

 

Click here to get the stories straight to your email:

Sign up for the Blog

 

For more on wellness tips click here:

Sign up for Wellness tips

 

For more on homesteading on your budget click here:

Sign up for Homesteading Tips

 

For more simple DIY updates click here:

Sign up for easy DIYs 




What happens in a traumatic birth?

What happens in a traumatic birth?

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links, with NO additional cost to you. 


I wish everyone who has had a traumatic birth experiences birth redemption. I do not wish anyone to have a traumatic birth, but unfortunately it happens all too frequently. This is part one of two in Blog posts. 


What happens during a traumatic birth? It is not just physical trauma, it is emotional trauma that takes a hidden toll. This hidden emotional trauma leaves scars that no one can see. It can change the way a mother views herself, her body, her baby, her life. When this hidden trauma occurs, the outside world does not see what is happening. To them all seems well, everyone is alive. They don’t see the internal struggle and the life that is not thriving, but only surviving. 


Before the birth of my daughter I had a view of a strong and capable woman. A little nervous and not knowing what to expect of birth, but confidant I could handle it. After all my mom did, why wouldn’t I be able to. 


I left my daughter's birth feeling broken, robbed, and used. My confidence was shaken to the core. I didn’t recognize my own body, didn’t understand what happened or why. Everyone was so happy, my daughter and I were alive. They didn’t see the struggle to bond, the hurt that went way deeper than the scar. The confusion, trying to figure out what went wrong. 


Her birth left me with a view that my body was broken. That it was unable to handle a pregnancy, or birth. I spent the next year in physical pain, burying the emotional pain and swearing I’d never go through that again. How? I would simply not get pregnant again. 


Over that year, I started digging into improving my health. I was tired of the pain. I switched jobs, because I physically and mentally just couldn’t cowboy anymore. The pain continued. I finally found help for the physical pain. I was blessed with an occupational therapist who understood the effect emotions have on the body. She led me to the path of emotional healing. Once those two pieces met, the pain, both physical and emotional, finally started to heal. 

For more on what I did to heal, get the course here:

https://getoiling.com/CassandraRow/landing/recovery-from-traumatic-birth



Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Courageous + Purposeful Mommas group! This community is for the Mommas, mommas to be, in the midst of raising, and kids grown, looking for tips on building your family up and providing for them through natural methods. Tips include: gardening, bulk buying, caning,/preserving, livestock, homesteading, and home remedies. Your family is precious, and this group is to help you gain the knowledge and tools to keep your family well and not reliant on outside professionals. Remedies and tips are easy and simple for the busy momma, time is precious after all, including pregnancy, birth, young kids, and illness. Trust your Momma gut again! This community offers the resources + community you need to help get started on your journey and prepare for whatever future you envision.

Join the Free Community

 

Click here to get the stories straight to your email:

Sign up for the Blog

 

For more on wellness tips click here:

Sign up for Wellness tips

 

For more on homesteading on your budget click here:

Sign up for Homesteading Tips

 

For more simple DIY updates click here:

Sign up for easy DIYs 


 
Read Older Updates