Homemaking Archives - Gently Sustainable

13AprApril 13, 2019

How to Make Homemade Laundry Detergent and Pre-Treat Recipe

I can't even begin to quantify how much money you'll save over the years by learning to make your own homemade laundry detergent and pre-treat! With our big family and with using cloth diapers with my babies, I've saved thousands, yes I said thousands of dollars using our homemade laundry soap and pre-treat. This is money that can go to your bottom line and help pay off debt and put more in savings! Frankly, it's just crazy how much the stores want for laundry products, when it costs just a few dollars to make your own! Plus, you can skip out...

By KellyAccomplished, DIY Personal Products, Homemaking, Homesteading, Newbie, Scratch Recipes, Skill Building, Sustainable Homelaundry detergent, pre-treat spray4 Comments

08AprApril 8, 2019

How to Take Advantage of Grocery Store Loss Leaders

The pursuit of fresh, healthy food for my family is one of my highest priorities! While my goal is to grow and produce most of that food myself, there are times when supplementing from your local grocery can be a big help when stocking your pantry! Today, I want to discuss with you "How to Take Advantage of Grocery Store Loss Leaders". So, what exactly is a "Loss Leader"? A "Loss Leader" is an item or product, usually a seasonal meat, produce or pantry item, that is on the front page of the store's sale flyer. The items are usually something that's...

By KellyAccomplished, Financial Resilience, Homemaking, Newbie, Preserving Food, Sustainable Home, Veteran0 Comments

02AprApril 2, 2019

How to Thrive like the Amish During Bad Economic Times

I love the Amish. Why do I love the Amish? Because everything about them screams of sustainability and self-preservation! There is much to learn from these amazing folks, so here's "How to Thrive like the Amish During Bad Economic Times"! Holmes County I discovered the Amish about 25 years ago, when we were trying to get out of debt and get our finances in order. If you aren't familiar with the Amish, they are a fascinating group of people who escaped religious persecution in Switzerland and Germany to migrate to the United States in the early 18th century. They initially settled in...

By KellyAccomplished, Financial Resilience, Growing Food, Homemaking, Homesteading, Minimalism, Newbie, Non-electric living, Sustainable Home, VeteranAmish, Non-electric living, sustainable living6 Comments

06MarMarch 6, 2019

how to preserve eggs without refrigeration

Preserving Eggs in Lime Water Recipe

It's Springtime here, and that means our hens are laying eggs....lots and lots of eggs. How can we preserve eggs without refrigeration? Let me explain with "Preserving Eggs in Lime Water Recipe"! Back in the day, before refrigeration, there were several different methods to preserve eggs. Some work better than others! One way to preserve eggs is pickling, but to be honest, my family isn't crazy about pickled things, so I don't use this method. Another way to preserve eggs is by freezing. Freezing eggs is just a matter of scrambling the eggs and putting them into labeled zip-lock bags. Put the zip-lock bags on...

By KellyChickens and Eggs, Homemaking, Homesteading, Preserving Food, VeteranPreserving eggs4 Comments

02FebFebruary 2, 2019

How to Save Big Money on Your Utility Bills

It's getting to be that time of year when we start thinking about....cold! Actually, any time of year, we should be aware of our utility consumption. I've got some tips and tricks that have worked for me in my home with "How to Save Big Money on Your Utility Bills"! Get to Know Your Meter Before you make any changes to your home, I feel strongly that you must begin to read your meter and track your usage! You can do a lot to save electricity, but if you aren't quantifying your progress until you get your bill at the end of...

By KellyFinancial Resilience, Homemaking, Sustainable Home0 Comments

04JanJanuary 4, 2019

How to Make a Simple, Reusable Market Bag

Since we're focused on "Using It Up" this week, it's a great time to get more acquainted with how to re-purpose and/or up-cycle clothing! Let's learn "How to Make a Simple, Reusable Market Bag", we can sew this up in about an hour! I can hear some of you mumbling that you don't have a sewing machine and you don't know how to sew. I understand. But can I encourage you to make the leap and find a starter machine to learn on? I see nice machines all the time on Facebook for under $50. From there, just jump on YouTube!...

By KellyFabric Arts, Homemaking, Sewing, Skill Building, Sustainable Home2 Comments

01JanJanuary 1, 2019

How to Meal Plan for a Month

One of the fastest ways to get your budget under control is to manage your groceries more efficiently. What better way to do that than to learn "How to Meal Plan for a Month"? Planning for a month of meals isn't as hard as it might sound, and since I've been doing it for decades now, I will share my tips and tricks to get it done quickly and without pain! This meal plan is going to be personal to you, in other words, no one else's plan is going to look exactly like yours. That's ok! You're cooking for your...

By KellyFinancial Resilience, Homemaking, Sustainable Home0 Comments

31DecDecember 31, 2018

use it up, wear it out, make it last or do without

Use it Up, Wear it Out, Make it Do or Do Without

Do you remember the mantra from The Great Depression "Use It Up, Wear it Out, Make it Do or Do Without"? This phrase was responsible to helping people to get through one of the most difficult periods in American history. But did you know that this mantra is still just as powerful and effective today? Can I ask you a question? Can you imagine what your life would be like if you weren't able to separate yourself from anything until you had completely "Used It Up"? But first, let's define "Use it Up"... To Exhaust of Usefulness or Use Synonyms include: Absorb, consume, burn, deplete,...

By KellyFinancial Resilience, Homemaking, Sustainable Home10 Comments

05DecDecember 5, 2018

The Benefits of Crafting for your Homestead & Mental Health

There's nothing that I look forward to more than picking up my knitting needles at the end of a long day's work on the farm. Knitting, or any form of crafting, can be so relaxing for our minds and bodies, as well as a great way to unwind. But the benefits of crafting for your homestead & mental health go far beyond that! Everything including cooking, food preservation, fabric arts, gardening and baking are all creative activities, and I'm just scratching the surface! "Back in the day", our grandmothers and great-grandmothers even made the family's clothing and quilts as a matter...

By KellyFabric Arts, Homemaking, Knitting, Mental Health, Sewing, Skill Buildingcrafting, knitting, mental health6 Comments