I love sharing about what I am doing in my home as a homemaker – the meals I’m cooking, the decor I’m bringing in, the systems I’m maintaining – but this episode goes even deeper into homemaking. I am chatting with my friend and fellow blogger Andrea about the heart behind our homemaking pursuits. As wives and mothers who have been learning and loving homemaking for well over a decade, we want to encourage you to see the beauty and creativity and opportunities that are available to you as a home...
Jan 16, 2024•54 min•Ep 220•Transcript available on Metacast We have talked quite a bit on this podcast about minimalism and living clutter-free. Even as someone who has been practicing the principles of minimalism for many years, I find that I have to constantly be aware of what is coming into our home so that it does not become overwhelming. Robyn and I chat in this episode about developing a decluttering habit in the new year. Rather than viewing decluttering as a giant one-time task we have to tackle, we should aim to make it part of our everyday mind...
Jan 09, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep 219•Transcript available on Metacast Cooking every meal from scratch can seem like a complicated and time-consuming endeavor if it is not part of your normal routine. In this episode, Cami and I aim to change your mindset around cooking from scratch and show you how truly simple and fast it can be. We start out by giving you ideas of meals you can throw together in a pinch without sacrificing quality. Then we dive into meals that take a little planning ahead, but don’t require you to spend all day in the kitchen. If you have a goal...
Jan 02, 2024•59 min•Ep 218•Transcript available on Metacast We all want to be free from financial stress, but what practical steps can we take to get there? Does the secret to financial freedom lie in sticking to a budget? Paying off debt? Making more money? In this episode, Jen and Jill share their unique and powerful insights about frugality and financial freedom. We explore the idea of spending better rather than just spending less. Jen and Jill share the importance of examining your mindset and habits around money before making changes. If one of you...
Dec 26, 2023•59 min•Ep 217•Transcript available on Metacast You can accomplish a lot more on a small homestead than you think! I have had many guests on the podcast testify to this fact with the incredible ways they use their homesteads to produce surprising amounts of food. In this episode, Michelle is sharing how she and her family produce approximately 75% of their food from their five and a half acre homestead. She walks us through how to choose what crops you will produce and how to preserve them all while avoiding feelings of overwhelm and burnout....
Dec 19, 2023•47 min•Ep 216•Transcript available on Metacast I hear from many of you who are dreaming of life on a homestead, but you are currently living in the suburbs. While it can be discouraging to search and wait for that dream property, there is so much you can do in the backyard of your neighborhood lot. Join me in listening to Katie’s story about making the most of where you are. Katie now helps other homestead dreamers begin their homesteading endeavors no matter how small their property. In this episode, we cover: How Katie began homesteading u...
Dec 12, 2023•51 min•Ep 215•Transcript available on Metacast One of my favorite topics to dive into is sourdough, and Ash is the perfect person to join me for today’s conversation! Ash creates the most beautiful sourdough baked goods, and she teaches others to do the same. We are chatting about the recipes we love baking around the holidays, our best tips for gifting baked goods, the ins and outs of working with different types of dough, recovering sourdough fails, and more. Join us for this conversation as you get ready to jump into holiday baking this s...
Dec 05, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep 214•Transcript available on Metacast As online business owners and mothers of large homeschooling families, Leslie and I discovered that we have so much in common! You all submitted so many great questions for this episode, and we felt like we could have continued chatting forever. We dive into some practicals of how we run our online businesses while working together with our husbands. We talk about both the challenging and beautiful realities of having a large age span of children in the home. Ultimately, we hope this conversatio...
Nov 28, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Ep 213•Transcript available on Metacast If the thought of transforming your home into a cozy, magical Christmas wonderland seems overwhelming, this episode is for you! Sarah is a professional interior designer, but she is sharing tons of tips and inspiration for average homemakers to create a classic, festive, elegant atmosphere in their homes this season. Whether you are just getting started building up your Christmas decor stash or you are feeling the need to pare it down, my conversation with Sarah will help you feel inspired to cr...
Nov 21, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Ep 212•Transcript available on Metacast With the rising costs of food over the last few years, people are looking for ways to save now more than ever. Christine helps moms wisely use their household budgets through her YouTube channel and podcast, and she is with us today to share some of her top tips for maximizing your savings when it comes to sourcing groceries. She tells us what money pitfalls to avoid and her biggest tip for keeping food costs low. This is an episode that everyone can gain some practical tips from, so join us! In...
Nov 14, 2023•51 min•Ep 211•Transcript available on Metacast As the days get shorter and cooler, I think we all begin to crave a greater sense of coziness in our homes. Liz Marie Galvan, the “Queen of Cozy”, is chatting with me today about the concepts behind her newest book Create Your Own Cozy. We talk about how cozy looks different for everyone according to their unique preferences and the features of their home. Liz tackles the million dollar question: how can I achieve a cozy feeling in my home without making it feel cluttered? If you are longing for...
Nov 07, 2023•52 min•Ep 210•Transcript available on Metacast I talk often on this podcast about the beauty of homemaking, but there are certainly times when we can fall into a slump as homemakers. I’m joined by two Mennonite homemakers in this episode, Megan and Jayna, to discuss what we love about homemaking, what is challenging, and how we navigate the difficult seasons of this worthy calling. If you could use fresh ideas and inspiration to continue creating beauty and comfort in your home, join us for this conversation! In this episode, we cover: How b...
Oct 31, 2023•52 min•Ep 209•Transcript available on Metacast Many of us have heard that freshly milled flour is healthier for us, but we have questions about incorporating it into our kitchens and diets. Kristin has been baking with freshly milled whole grains for over a decade, and she now shares techniques and recipes with other bakers who want to make the switch to freshly milled flour. We talk about the history of grain milling and how all-purpose flour came to be so popular. Kristin shares why freshly milled whole grains are so much more nutrient den...
Oct 25, 2023•55 min•Ep 208•Transcript available on Metacast Distractions are nothing new, but the sheer amount of distractions available to us in our modern world is overwhelming. It is impossible to talk about distraction without acknowledging the impact of technology on our lives, but Katie pulls back the curtain on technology to explore what is really behind our attraction to it. What is the root cause of distraction and how can we overcome it? If you desire to live a purposeful life without succumbing to the onslaught of distractions coming your way,...
Oct 17, 2023•44 min•Ep 207•Transcript available on Metacast With the colder months quickly approaching, many parents want to start preparing their families to fight off illness. Today’s guests are sharing with us all about how elderberry has transformed their family and how you can benefit from it too. Starla and Brad answer some of the most frequently asked questions about elderberry: how it impacts the body, when to take it, growing it yourself. If you want to get a head start on boosting your family’s immune system this year, join us for this episode ...
Oct 10, 2023•40 min•Ep 206•Transcript available on Metacast Today’s guest is passionate about equipping moms to be prepared for whatever life throws at them. In our conversation, we dove into the subjects of two of Karen’s books: preparing your home with long-term food storage and preparing your vehicle with everything you need on the go. Karen breaks down how anyone can get started building their long-term food storage supply without blowing the budget. She also goes through some items to keep stocked in your vehicle so you are prepared for any situatio...
Oct 03, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep 205•Transcript available on Metacast It was so fun to sit down and chat with Francesca about many of the things we share in common. We dive into what it looks like to balance the many responsibilities of a working, homeschooling, homesteading mother of many. Francesca shares the story of her music career and how it has changed throughout different seasons of life. We discuss how cultivating a simple life at home away from the hustle can be such a gift to ourselves and our families. Join me for this encouraging conversation about al...
Sep 26, 2023•52 min•Ep 204•Transcript available on Metacast I hear from many of you that you want to live this homesteading lifestyle but you are wondering how to afford it. Can a homestead pay for itself? Can you actually earn an income from it? With a background in business and marketing, Grace set out to start a profitable farm business, and she ended up growing her sheep farming business to $100k by the third year. If you have a desire to draw a profit from your farm or homestead but you are unsure of the business mechanics, this episode is for you! ...
Sep 19, 2023•54 min•Ep 203•Transcript available on Metacast The year 2020 was a catalyst that led many people to chase after the homesteading lifestyle, and Bay is no exception. Fueled by a desire to establish food security for her family, Bay jumped into multiple homesteading endeavors from the get-go and learned a lot along the way. Homesteading can certainly be expensive, but we dive into the reality of living this lifestyle on a tight budget. We also chat about what it is like to pursue your goals in front of an audience on the internet and how we ea...
Sep 12, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep 202•Transcript available on Metacast It's so good to have Elizabeth back on the podcast to share more of her story and expertise with us! She and her family recently relocated from Texas to Tennessee to start a new homestead, so she tells us all about what led them to Tennessee and what their homesteading plans are. As a nurse and mother of many, Elizabeth is passionate about educating and empowering other mothers to make informed decisions for their families. We’ll chat about home remedies, supporting the body’s ability to heal, a...
Sep 05, 2023•59 min•Ep 201•Transcript available on Metacast Erin is a mother of six, new homesteader, retired nurse, and guru on all things natural health and wellness. You may know her from Instagram which is her main platform for sharing information and resources to empower and educate mothers. We sat down and answered some of your questions about their journey from California to Tennessee to find freedom, how they got their homestead off the ground, and how Erin is preparing for her fifth home birth. If any of these motherhood topics interest you, joi...
Aug 29, 2023•1 hr•Ep 200•Transcript available on Metacast There are countless skills a person gains on the path of entrepreneurship, and this goes for kids too! The kind of environment we create for our kids and the guidance we give them play a large role in determining what endeavors they will pursue throughout childhood and beyond. Whether your children have a natural entrepreneurial bent or not, you will learn about the many gifts entrepreneurship has to give to those who are willing to give it a try. Join us as Michelle shares about her many years ...
Aug 22, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep 199•Transcript available on Metacast I’m thrilled to be chatting with another good friend on today’s podcast episode, Kate of Venison for Dinner. You all likely know her from her homesteading, cheesemaking, homemaking content, and in this conversation, we are answering some of your most common questions about making dairy products at home. Plus, we pull back the curtain on both of our content creation businesses and offer encouragement for those balancing motherhood and business (or hoping to!). Whether or not you are interested in...
Aug 15, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Ep 198•Transcript available on Metacast Mother of ten, blogger, author, and one of my real life friends, Abbie from M is for Mama, is back on the podcast chatting with me about being an intentional mother in an increasingly frantic culture. As mothers, there are so many negative messages coming at us from all directions highlighting the burdens of motherhood without offering us hope or direction. Abbie’s countercultural message of embracing motherhood as a gift and calling from God is a breath of fresh air. Join us as we highlight man...
Aug 08, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Ep 197•Transcript available on Metacast In the last decade since I was a young mother, the pace of motherhood has changed so much. Even for mothers who stay home full-time with their children, there are endless opportunities and distractions available to us through our digital devices. When Sarah realized she was running on the hamster wheel of busyness and distraction, she knew she wanted to make a change. Through her own pursuit of simple, intentional, slow motherhood, Sarah began sharing her journey with other mothers who were long...
Aug 01, 2023•56 min•Ep 196•Transcript available on Metacast For many of us, it is the time of year where our gardens are producing in abundance. All of our hard work in the garden is starting to pay off, and we don’t want to let any of that hard work go to waste. Knowing how best to preserve your produce is just as important as knowing how to grow it. Melissa K. Norris is a food preservation guru, and she is joining us to dive into the various methods of preserving. We discuss which methods are easiest for beginners and address some safety concerns aroun...
Jul 27, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Ep 195•Transcript available on Metacast Every parent wants to do what is best for their children, but technology use can be a tricky issue to navigate! Early in her motherhood, Molly welcomed technology into her kids’ lives, but quickly realized she needed to make a change. Immediately, Molly saw drastic improvements in her children. She now helps parents navigate this complex world of screen use by coaching families through a detox period and a reintroduction process. Whether you are a parent who knows you need to make a change in yo...
Jul 20, 2023•50 min•Ep 194•Transcript available on Metacast As I am anticipating the birth of our eighth child any day now, I sat down to answer some of your questions about how my pregnancy has been going, my plans for birth, and how we are preparing for baby number eight! In this episode, I’m answering: Will we have more kids after this? What were my previous births like? How am I planning for this home birth? Did we find out the gender this time? Has this pregnancy been different from the rest? Am I taking iron? How do I handle afterbirth pains? Were ...
Jul 13, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep 193•Transcript available on Metacast Navigating the topic of screen time as a mom in today’s world can definitely be overwhelming. Joy is a fellow mom of seven, and she has a passion for helping families put down the screens and enjoy the beauty of life outdoors through her nature study resources. In our conversation, we address the feeling of overwhelm moms experience when outdoor time seems like just one more task to add to their already full plate. Rather, Joy encourages us that time spent outdoors can become a natural part of t...
Jul 06, 2023•57 min•Ep 192•Transcript available on Metacast You all have been asking me to bring Jessica on the podcast, and I know you won’t be disappointed in our conversation! As a mother of eight and homesteader, Jessica is well-versed in many aspects of motherhood and homemaking. We sat down to answer your questions about food preservation, minimizing food waste in your home, priorities and perspective in difficult seasons of motherhood, and more. Join us for this inspiring discussion about some of our favorite topics! In this episode, we cover: Pre...
Jun 29, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep 191•Transcript available on Metacast