Simple Farmhouse Life

What began as a conversation about options for sourcing quality meat turned into a fascinating discussion on all that you can accomplish on a small homestead.  Amy homesteads less than five acres, and she is full of creative ideas for making the most of a small space.  For those who are interested in raising their own meat, we dive into what that looks like on a small scale.  For those who want to...

One of my favorite parts of homemaking is curating beautiful decor in my home.  It’s no secret that I love coming across a great vintage find at an antique shop or on Facebook Marketplace.  I’m so glad to have Deb of Seeking Lavender Lane joining me on the podcast again to talk all about how you can curate an elegant, vintage look in your own home without making it feel cluttered or junky.  For th...

With the growing popularity of homesteading on Instagram, it’s easy to look at this lifestyle through a romanticized filter.  No one would say that the homesteading life is 100% glamorous, but it’s hard to fully grasp the weight of the difficult moments until you are in them.  Ash of Turner Farm wrote a beautiful article for Homestead Mamas on this very topic, so I’m excited to bring her on the po...

Because of the pervasiveness of harmful ingredients in food and household products, living a toxin-free lifestyle requires swimming upstream!  We have to be intentional about sourcing our food well, reading labels carefully, and monitoring what we allow into our homes.  However, there may be certain compromises we must make along the way, and those compromises will look different for everyone.  Am...

I asked who you all wanted to hear on the podcast, and you answered!  My sister Laura of Our Oily House is joining me today to talk all about where to start when you are swapping out toxic products in your home.  We cover cleaning your home, caring for your hair and skin, and how to fit these projects into a full schedule.  Then we answer some of the questions that you all submitted through Instag...

Fear is one of the main things that holds people back from going after a goal or dream.  Anyone who has taken the leap to start something new has felt this intimidation at first and has found a way to push through it.  I loved having this chat with Megan all about what it was like to start her successful YouTube channel, Megan Fox Unlocked.  She shares all about why she started her channel, how sh...

It’s easy to look at someone like Kate and wonder how she does it all.  Between homemaking, homeschooling her five children, maintaining her Canada homestead, and running her successful online business, Kate’s plate is certainly full.  In our conversation, we discuss the realities of what it looks like to manage all of these responsibilities well without burning yourself out.  A little spoiler ale...

It is simple to embrace traditional ways of eating when there are no food groups that are off-limits to you.  But when you or someone in your family lives with a food allergy or sensitivity, even meals made with the simplest of ingredients can become a challenge.  As a mother and functional medicine practitioner who has walked the path of food sensitivities with her own child and many patients, I...

If you desire to live a natural lifestyle—whole foods, less toxins, holistic health—it can be intimidating to know where to start.  Many people are also concerned about the cost of living this way.  In this episode with Roxanne of Happy Holistic Homestead, we tackle the question of where to start if you simply can’t afford to jump all in.  What changes make the biggest impact on your family’s heal...

If you dream of starting your own homestead but worry that you don’t have the skills or time or money, you’ve got to hear Katie’s story.  Six weeks after giving birth to her ninth daughter, Katie and her husband moved their family from their established homestead in Texas to a piece of raw land in Missouri to start over.  They are building everything themselves and doing it debt-free!  Katie share...

In pursuing a more natural lifestyle, many of us want to move away from conventional forms of medicine and healthcare.  After her first daughter’s birth, Arielle de Martinez dove deep into the world of natural medicine which ultimately led her to herbalism.  You will be fascinated by our conversation about using herbs for everything from washing your hair to relieving bee stings to supporting feve...

After facing skin issues with her young daughter, Emilie Toups set out to find a cleaner and safer alternative to over-the-counter and even prescription creams.  And thus, Toups and Co Organics was born.  Emilie discovered many alarming ingredients that were having negative effects, both seen and unseen, on her family’s health.  She is bringing her wealth of knowledge and research to the podcast t...

Gut health is a big topic in the health world right now, and for good reason!  Having a healthy gut impacts so many areas of our physical and mental health.  Meg of A Whole Health Life joins me to talk about why gut health matters and how to begin healing your gut through diet and lifestyle changes.  We also camp out on the benefits of fermented foods and how to begin incorporating them into your...

Over the last decade, the modern farmhouse style has become extremely popular in home decor.  The all white paint and minimal aesthetic is easy to achieve, which is part of why it has become so popular.  However, many homemakers are beginning to trade in the all white look for warmth, coziness, color, pattern.  We want our spaces to feel elevated and timeless and unique.  Liz Quick of The Quick Jo...

With the many conveniences of our modern food system, it’s easy to become detached from the knowledge of how our food is actually produced.  Brianna is on a mission to reconnect the community to its farmers.  At her family’s ranch in Washington, Brianna welcomes her neighbors—especially children—to come experience what farm life is truly like.  Children learn invaluable, lifelong skills as a resul...

If you have ever thought of making cheese at home but have been overwhelmed at the idea, this episode is for you!  Robyn of Cheese From Scratch joins me to talk all things cheesemaking.  Robyn’s desire is to make this skill accessible to everyone.  We talk about how cheesemaking can become a normal part of your everyday routine, just like any other skill on the homestead.  A common misconception i...

Looking for an older home can be scary and exciting all at the same time.  What are the most important characteristics to look for?  How do you know which flaws are deal breakers?  Cathy and Garrett have been renovating and restoring homes for over a decade, so they have seen the good, bad, and ugly of old houses.  In our conversation, they answer some of the most common questions I get about shop...

A change in season is the perfect time to make a change in your family’s habits.  If you have been feeling the pull to get outside more with your kids, you don’t want to miss this conversation with Ginny Yurich of 1000 Hours Outside.  Not only does Ginny share a whole host of reasons why outdoor time is beneficial to our children, she also shares practical strategies for making outdoor time an ach...

I have been wanting to talk to today’s podcast guest for over a year!  Natalie Kovarik is a Nebraska ranch wife and mom who uses her voice to educate about the realities of agriculture.  Unfortunately, the public dialogue is full of misconceptions about the role and impact of agriculture on our environment and health.  Natalie is a wealth of knowledge about this complex topic, and she does a beaut...

When diving into the world of homesteading, it can quickly become overwhelming when you realize just how many skills there are to learn.  Where should you start?  I’m so glad Carolyn of Homesteading Family joined me for this conversation.  As a long-time homesteader and mother of 10, Carolyn shares how she got started building her skillset to support the homesteading lifestyle she desired for hers...

Curating a home decor style that feels collected takes time and intention.  Amanda of Sincerely Marie Designs has done a beautiful job achieving this look and feel in her home, and she is joining me to talk about one of my favorite topics: decorating your home with vintage and antique pieces.  Many of our current home inspiration sources — HGTV, Pinterest, Instagram — can give us the unrealistic e...

Many people think that beginning a farm or homestead requires you to have previous farming experience, but this isn’t necessarily true.  Even if you have never set foot on a farm yourself, it is possible to begin living the homesteading lifestyle.  In this episode, Jess shares how her lifelong dream of owning a farm became a reality, one step at a time.  We also delve into the topic of making mone...

If you don’t believe it’s possible to have a stunning home on a shoestring budget, this episode is for you!  My friend, Andrea, of Pine and Prospect Home is joining me for this conversation on giving your home a refresh for spring without spending a ton of money.  Andrea is the queen of thrifty decor, and everything she creates looks high-dollar.  We’re sharing some of our best tips for curating a...

When you look around the homesteading world and see other people doing all the things, it can be overwhelming to know how to get started.  In this episode, Melissa K. Norris, a homesteader for over 20 years, joins me to talk about where to start when you want to learn new homesteading skills.  She reminds us not to be afraid of starting small and learning as you go.  She also provides many tangibl...

Especially when it comes to home design, I find so much inspiration in holding beautiful printed books in my hands.  That’s why I am so glad there are people like Kali Ramey Martin putting lovely resources out into the world. Her book, Potager, and her seasonal magazine, Notebook Quarterly, curate recipes and gardening tips and home inspiration in such a masterful way.  Our conversation spanned a...