Old Fashioned On Purpose

Today is the day my friends!  All of the planning and preparation is done, and the time has finally arrived to plant our seeds in the ground.  However, before you toss everything aside and sprint out to your garden, there are a couple of things you'll want to consider.  In today's episode, I detail why frost dates and garden zones are important and how to find them.  I discuss several di...

When it comes to planting a garden, your soil is similar to a house's foundation.  You can buy the most expensive seeds you like, but if the soil you plant them in isn't right the whole thing is bound to fall apart.   Listen today to discover the most common types of soil, how to get your soil tested, how your PH levels affect your crops, and some simple steps on how to amend your soil. ...

With the events of the past year, there have been certain items that have become even more essential for everyday life.  While things like toilet paper and hand sanitizer flew off the shelves, one unforeseen item sold out quicker than expected. Due to both higher demand and restrictions on production, seeds have been selling out way ahead of schedule.  In today's episode, we dig into the proc...

The foundation of any great garden depends on three things: Location, Location, Location. So how do we determine the proper location for a garden? I'm glad you asked! In today's episode, I'm digging deep into the best strategies and techniques for finding the ideal sunny spot, determining the proper size garden for your family, and deciding the correct planting method based on your...

Welcome back, my friends!  I can't begin to express how excited I am for what we're tackling in season three of the Old Fashioned on Purpose podcast. This past year was wild, to say the least.   I don't know about you, but I certainly never could've imagined that food shortage could be a topic of conversation in 2020.   Because of this, I'm dedicating this season to someth...

It's hard to believe it, but we've already reached the end of the "first" season.  As we bring this season to a close, it's time to turn an eye to the future.  In today's episode, I go over some of the plans (both big and small) that Christian and I have been discussing for quite some time.  I'm really thrilled to share some of this with you as we're develop...

Clarity is everything. In any area of life, gaining clarity on your goals and your vision is critical for success. This fact became even more apparent in my own life when it came time to write my cookbook. The entire process of writing my cookbook forced me to question everything about what I was currently doing in my life and where I wanted to go in the future. In the end, I came out with a book...

While I'm a major advocate for setting goals and making plans to achieve them, sometimes there comes a time when you just have to jump. The truth is, if you're waiting for the perfect time to do something it's never going to come. As you've learned in my own story up to this point, I don't know if I've ever been "ready" to do much of anything in my life. Mos...

For as long as I can remember, network marketing was almost an evil phrase in my vocabulary. I held these limiting beliefs about network marketing that no one actually succeeded with it and they mainly just tread water. Thankfully, the reality was far different than my misguided expectations. In today's episode, I dig into why network marketing not only gave me freedom and transformed my care...

Beginnings are always fun. For most of us, the start of a story is always the most relatable. It defines the "humble beginnings" that most successful people have to overcome. The end is always great because finally, you've realized the merits of your hard work. It's the middle that no one really talks about. I'm talking about the grey area that occurs between the start and...

Creation can come in all forms.  For us, it seems they all happened at the same time.  With animals giving birth on the homestead, me getting pregnant with our first daughter, and a new blog on the horizon, my attention was pulled in several different directions.  Looking back now, while it was a hectic time it was one of the greatest periods of growth in my life.  After all, the extra time I spen...

My friends, we have arrived at my favorite portion of the entire story.  Many people told Christian and I that our dreams were crazy.  Looking back on it now, I can understand why some would have felt that way at the time.  However, when we first bought our homestead there was no doubt in our minds that it was the right thing to do.  We knew from the beginning that it was the vision we had for our...

Change is funny.  Sometimes it pushes you to grow, while other times it can set you back.  When I made the move to college after being homeschooled my entire life, many people questioned if I was going to be able to deal with the changes that came with transitioning into college life.  When you face a difficult situation, it's easy to believe that you aren't able to accomplish something...

At the age of 14, I got my first horse. For a shy little homeschool girl, this wound up being a huge boost to my confidence and completely shifted my identity. In the years that followed, I joined 4-H, worked in the stalls, and eventually went to college to ride horses. What did I learn through all of this? Even if you're unable to live your dream right now, there are always ways to get close...

After a short break to regroup, I’m thrilled to be back recording podcasts.  While I loved recording the individual episodes, it’s time to make a change.  Instead of recording single episodes on a topic, I’m going to be dedicating an entire season to a specific theme.  Together we’ll take deep dives that build a broader depth of knowledge and allow you to take action on the things that matter.  In...

While I’m the first person to trumpet consistency, sometimes a change is needed.  Lately, I’ve recognized I’ve been lacking a bit of inspiration.  While under normal circumstances I’d attempt to push through, I’ve realized that creativity and inspiration is actually a seasonal thing.  Because of this, I need a break.  Fear not my friends!  This isn’t the end of the podcast.  On the contrary, this...

For quite some time, I felt with the physical work I did on the homestead, I didn’t need to set aside extra time to workout.  I thought the shoveling, the pitchforking, and the day-to-day activity was enough.  However, as I’ve got older and my metabolism has shifted my attitude has changed.  While I’ll never be one of the workout warriors you see on Instagram, I’ve realized that making the extra t...

Recently I’ve noticed that something has been taking up more-and-more of my time, seemingly with each passing day.  Any guesses on what that might be?  (Hint:  it has nothing to do with homesteading).  Yes, that’s right my friends, I’m talking about social media.  Whether it’s been filling time while waiting for food to cook or mindlessly scrolling through Facebook, I realized that I’ve literally...

If you take a look around the internet, you will see that the homestead life is exploding at the moment.  All over social media, there’s growing evidence of people beginning a homesteading journey of their own.  However, as with anything new and popular on the internet, it can be difficult to tell the imposter “ influencers” from the true homesteaders.  So how do you know who to listen to?  In tod...

Unless you’re one of the lucky few, odds are most of you don’t have the luxury of a root cellar to store your harvest.  Fear not my friends, today I’m here to offer up some great alternatives to a root cellar that will help you preserve your vegetables through the winter.  Listen to find out why that drafty room in your house could be your best friend, when to turn to your fridge, and how long you...

To say the least, our recent snowstorm was completely unexpected.  Unfortunately, the snow and the cold completely destroyed my garden.  Unlike years past, this time I decided to plant a fall garden.  In today’s episode, I discuss how I cleaned up my garden, what I planted for the fall, why I’m planting cover crops now, and what I’m doing with our brand new greenhouse.  Overall, this is an entirel...

No, my friends, the title of this episode is not a mistake.  Recently we experienced a weather swing so severe most people would think that I completely made it up.  What we went through was a 65-degree drop in just 24 hours!  Trust me, that is not a typo.  In today’s episode, I detail how we prepped for the oncoming snowstorm.  This includes pulling crops, covering plants, taking down some struct...

While it seemed like this day would never happen, we finally have a greenhouse on the homestead.  Why did it take so long?  Truthfully, we didn’t make it a priority and we somewhat suffered from “paralysis by analysis.”  In today’s episode I explain how to determine which greenhouse is right for your climate, why there’s no one size fits all solution, and my long-term plans for making the most of...

For those of you in harvest right now, hopefully, you’ve already done your homework.  If you haven’t, today I’m going to provide a crash course in tomato preservation.  I talk about dehydration, food mills, sauce, what makes paste tomatoes different, and so much more.  I even cover a few tips and tricks to help get tomatoes to ripen.  This episode is a true tomato 101 and will have you getting the...

One of the most common questions I receive on a weekly basis is “how do you get it all done?”  First off, let me reiterate that no matter what social media might have you believe, I don’t have it all figured out.  What I have figured out is that writing things down greatly helps me with recalling information.  For this reason, I lean heavily on paper planners to keep me on track with goals and pro...