Living a Simple Life with a Back Porch View

Dot-to-dot. Connect the dots. As a kid, you probably spent time pouring over a page with numbered dots scattered around in what seemed like a random method. If we started at Dot One, drew a line to Dot 2, and continued in the same method, eventually the lines we use to connect the dots would form a picture. But ‘connecting the dots’ isn’t just a puzzle game for kids. It is also used as an idiom in...

Holidays have a way of eliciting excitement in our hearts when we think about them. We can’t wait to catch up with family, dig into food we usually only get to enjoy once a year, and celebrate with all the festivities and fun.  But there is nothing that can burst our excitement bubble quicker than thinking about how much it will cost. The needle that pops our excitement bubble is doubly sharp when...

Don't Lose Your Marbles! In the heat of summer, we are often looking for fun ways to entertain ourselves and stay as cool as possible at the same time. We also want to take advantage of the season and host a gathering. But knowing what to do – other than a picnic and outside games and activities – can be tough. What we really want to do is escape the heat and the mosquitoes but still do somet...

The summer months bring out more than bathing suits, grills, and ice-cold Lemonade.  It also brings hot and humid days, some of which break the 100-degree mark.  With little rain fall to break the heat and humidity, life can become uncomfortable to almost unbearable.  It isn’t surprising that the heat doesn’t just make us sweat – it can also bring out the worst in us. Even the smallest thing that...

This week our nation will be celebrating the 4th of July, which we all know is the birthdate of our country gaining freedom. Our forefathers created and signed the Declaration of Independence, which gave us political separation from Great Britain.  By choosing to live a simple life, you have gotten your own brand of freedom – the separation from the tyranny of a life where something or someone oth...

Mama taught all of us girls the basics of laundry.  We learned how to use the washing machine, the proper way to hang clothes on the line, and when we were blessed with an automatic dryer, how to use it.  Once everything was cleaned, she taught us how to iron, then fold items and put them away.  And yes, she even taught us how to fold fitted sheets. Fitted sheets are the bane of our existence.  No...

Established in Washington in 1966, Reading is Fundamental (RIF) began when Margaret McNamara realized that students she was tutoring didn’t have ready access to books.  Today, we have libraries, bookstores, eBooks, and even online libraries.  Accessing books isn’t truly a big problem any longer, but finding time to read might be. Take a ‘page’ out of Ms. McNamara’s ‘book’, and discover how reading...

The summer heat has a way of driving us indoors, but we struggle to find ways to escape the heat and still be productive. Summer is one of the best times to work on handmade Christmas gifts.  Listen in and discover some great ideas on gifts you can make, and a simple tip on how to keep them all organized! Links: Psalm 91 Throw Embellished Bath Towels Barn Quilt Coasters Wooden Spoon Butter Send us...

It’s official. Summer has finally hit us between the eyes. The humidity may be more of a southern thing, but the heat affects all of us, at least to some extent. And it doesn’t just make us sweat. It can affect us physically, mentally, and emotionally. Whether we want to or not, we can’t avoid it, so we just need to learn how to handle it to the best of our ability.  It isn’t really difficult to g...

I hope you are ready for today’s conversation because I am going to take you back in time. I’m doing this to answer a question proposed to me recently. It had to do with the differences between a Simple Life ‘back then’, and a Simple Life now. The question seemed to clash with a belief that ‘we can never go back; we can only move forward’.  To a point, I agree with that statement. It is impossible...

As much as we sometimes would like to withdraw 100% from society, in reality it isn’t practical or probable. As humans, one of our basic needs is to have contact with others – even if it is only one or two people at a time.  Having neighbors and a community fills that need. It doesn’t mean we have to be surrounded by people every single day. A little aloneness is also good for the soul. But when t...

Welcome back to the Porch! Help yourself to some tea cakes and lemonade and settle in for a few minutes. In fact, you showed up just in time to help me with a little project I’m working on. All I need for you to do is tell me – what is your favorite kind of cookie?  (Just send me an email and let me know!) While I was in the kitchen baking those tea cakes you’re enjoying, I started wondering about...

Gardening as part of a Simple Life is more than just growing fresh food for your family. It is also finding a way to continue growing that food when money is tight or we find ourselves in the midst of floods, drought, or even food shortages. To do this, we need to take our gardens to the next level and learn how to save the seeds for the food we grow. Learning how to start your own Seed Bank is si...

If gardening is an art form, frugal garden decorating is the canvas!  We all want healthy, beautiful gardens that delight the senses. But there should also be an element of fun tucked between the greenery. But when adding decorative elements to your garden, a shopping trip to the local gardening store may cause severe shock to your checkbook. Some of those precious gardening gnomes really need to...

Spring is here, and with it comes a beautiful array of spring flowers.  As you drive down the road, you see fields of wildflowers, or beautiful roses in someone’s yard.  All that beauty can’t help but make you smile.  If it makes you smile so broadly when driving, why not let that beautiful vision greet you each day in your own yard?  Embracing life with beauty is as simple as adding a cutting gar...

Handcrafts are a beautiful way to express our love for creating, and sharing that love with others. But having to buy all the supplies can get expensive. One way to circumvent spending all that money is to supplement your love of handcrafts with things from nature. And that’s where a Craft gardens comes into play.  Learn more about what to grow, how you can use items from nature in your handcraft...

Flower gardens are a great way to add beauty to our yards and homes. But a Friendship Garden just seems to bloom better and more brightly. It’s my belief that these gardens are so beautiful because the fertilizer that makes them grow is love. If you are ready to start planting ‘Friendship’, listen in on how to get started growing the best garden anyone can have! Send us Fan Mail Support the show B...

One aspect many of us have included in our Simple Life is having a garden. Our goal is to provide food for our family, seasonings for the food we create, or even just being able to walk outside and gather a bouquet of fresh flowers to decorate our home.  But as with any endeavor, we need to plan our garden, long before we dig the first hole. For today’s podcast, we will start thinking about where...

Springing forward is more than just moving our clocks up an hour. It is also about springing forward with a new attitude. Making an attitude adjustment can help you breathe deeper, feel healthier in both mind and body, and can bring a smile to your heart and face. It also acts as a source of encouragement, knowing that we can accomplish all those plans we set for this year.  Listen in to learn how...

There are so many types of businesses you can do from home. This podcast is nowhere near exhaustive, but it can get you started in the right direction. Listen in to find out what home-based business is right for you. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Be Someone's Hero The Farm Wife (website) Let's Visit! (email) Amazon Shop Page Podcast Workbooks Great Products by The Farm Wife: The Simp...

Now that you’ve given working from home a lot of thought, done your research, and maybe have even dipped your toe in the water, it’s time to think about what comes next.  This episode in the Home-Based Business series deals with tips on setting up your office, creating schedules, dealing with ‘expectations’ from others, and how to help make working from home a productive career.  Send us Fan Mail...

Have you ever dreamed about quitting your job and starting your own home-based business? Then grab some refreshments and settle in for this three-part series. Today’s episode covers the perks, the downsides, and gives you a general idea of what it takes to set up a home-based business. It also offers food for thought on what type of business, how to set boundaries with family, and ways to countera...

You’ve had a week to think about your BIG dream of quitting your job to stay home. But as much as you try to manipulate them, the numbers still aren’t adding up. Don’t let this frustrate you – it’s to be expected.  We have been manipulated to live a lifestyle of consumerism. We are told we can be beautiful, rich, happier, more fulfilled – but to do that, we have to buy this product, drive this car...

Lately, we’ve been hearing the catchphrase ‘When the BIG one hits’ quite a bit. What it refers to is the rumor of a ‘big’ storm, or the ‘big’ recession, or even the ‘big’ hit of an EMP, social collapse, or even war right here in our own country.  We’ve all probably heard the rumors, used the phrase, and thought about what our future will look like if it does happen. But that particular BIG one is...

Have you ever found yourself in a slump? Life is stale. Your creativity feels similar to a dry creek. There are things you want to do but can’t seem to find the motivation. If this is where you stand, it may be time to get an Accountability Partner.  Often, having an Accountability Partner is something you would do from a professional standpoint. However, when learning to live a Simple Life, a per...