The Homestead Challenge Podcast | Suburban Homesteading, Gardening, Food From Scratch, Sustainable Living

Companion planting is among the most popular homesteading and gardening goals from our community this year! Sure, we all know you should plant stuff with other stuff to make it grow better, but why? After researching companion planting, I was left with a few questions that I felt like no one was answering. Hopefully, this clears some of them up!   Links Mentioned: www.facebook.com/groups/thehomest...

Happy Garden Season! Here are my top picks for relatively inexpensive (well, for the most part) Amazon finds for the garden that I have been LOVING this year as I build a garden in my forever city homestead.   Get the links: https://amzn.to/47YMD9c Join the Facebook Community: www.facebook.com/groups/thehomesteadchallengecommunity/ Instagram: @brittanylgibson  

Oof! Regret is hard and hearing, "I told you so" is a hard pill to swallow. But if there is one thing I know for certain: the best way to learn homesteading is to learn by doing it and making mistakes. We are all human and we can change our minds whenever we want as we grow and learn. What is one lesson or regret that you learned the hard way?   Episode Mentioned: Ep 5: Homestead Confessions: Expe...

In this episode, I chat about contentment. But not just waiting around and being okay with where you are at, but still dreaming about your forever homestead. I mean LOVING where you are at, and not even wanting more (well, for the most part).   Links Mentioned: https://bit.ly/homesteadchallengegoalplanner www.facebook.com/groups/thehomesteadchallengecommunity/ https://thehomesteadchallenge.com/wor...

Today I talk about six of my favorite herbs for spring allergies and how to consume them (and how to get your kids to take them, too!).   LINKS MENTIONED Starwest Botanicals: https://www.starwest-botanicals.com/?sscid=41k8_mmxwh https://thehomesteadchallenge.com/herbal-allergy-tea-recipe/ www.facebook.com/groups/thehomesteadchallengecommunity/ https://thehomesteadchallenge.com/workwithme Leave Fee...

We all start somewhere. I am not a beginner but also not an expert gardener. This is my first year building a full-on garden, and I was surprised to learn these things. I almost felt silly when I learned some of these things this year.   Let me know a surprising thing you learned during your first year of gardening!   P.S. Thank you for 10k downloads!   Links Mentioned: www.facebook.com/groups/the...

It can be so hard when your friends and family just don't really get it. They might not be outright unsupportive... but when you are surrounded by people who don't get your desire to live a toxic-free, natural life (or want a homestead!), it can be a little exhausting. In this episode, I am going to explore some of the ways that you can deal with these feelings, bridge the gap, gain support, and s...

It's time for change! But like, good change! Not scary change. The kind of change that we KNOW if coming... and we can actually plan for it if we just accept that it is going to happen. Whether it's a new season with new homestead tasks, your kiddos getting older, a new job, or something else, we all know change will happen indeed. Instead of getting stuck in our old routines, let's make some time...

Y'all. This has been the WORST Flu of my life. Holy Moly. Here are 4 sports drink ideas that might be better options for you than Gatorade when you are in need of some serious hydration. Stay well!   Link to my storefront with most of the products mentioned: https://www.amazon.com/shop/brittanylgibson/list/1MDAGD3YRJ6N5?ref_=aipsflist_aipsfbrittanylgibson Magic Magnesium: https://woodenspoonherbs....

Being a wife and/or mama is AMAZING, but it can be a LOT. There are so many things on our plates. It got me thinking about ways I simplify remembering to do ALL THE THINGS. I am not perfect at this, but there are three specific triggers in my daily life that remind me to do other things that are easier to forget. These triggers have made a HUGE difference in my life, and I think you can create som...

In this episode, I dive into a crucial turning point in my homesteading life – the moment I finally found a raw milk herdshare near me. This wasn't just about choosing healthier milk; it was about taking ownership of my choices and realigning with my core values. 🌿 Why Raw Milk? Raw milk isn't just milk. It's a symbol of balance and natural wellness, packed with more amino acids, antimicrobials,...

Things have been a little out-of-whack around my homestead. But solid systems and an online community have truly been the things that have kept me going. I am eager to teach you these systems and create an online community so that no suburban homesteader ever feels like they don't have someone or something to fall back on. https://thehomesteadchallenge.com/workwithme  

Spring cleaning is ALL the rage on the interwebs, and there are a few buzzwords that go around this time of year. Mainly, "minimalism." Don't run away yet! I know... most of us homesteady types are NOT here for minimalism. But hear me out, I think minimalism has a few principles we can apply to better our homestead lives (and no, not that cold, gray aesthetic). Check out 5 mistakes I made when I t...

Starting a solid routine before the busy homestead season is crucial, especially if your kiddos will be out of school over the summer! Everyone is spring cleaning right now, but there is so much more to it than that! Getting these things out of the way now will ensure your homestead's success for the year and get you into a rhythm that will make the rest of the year run so much smoother.  Listen i...

I am so excited to share Field Prep Foundations, a FREE 5-day challenge to help you reclaim and realign your time. Over the course of five days, you will receive emails with a video challenge containing simple, actionable steps for you to move toward a homestead jam-packed with all of the things you want to do, and ditching the rest. Here's what to expect: • Identifying Time Wasters • Homestead Go...

In today's conversation, Caitlin of Homegrown Hopes shares some common misconceptions about homesteading, tackling the myths of homesteading and the importance of local community (something I am not always the best at!). It's all about finding balance, leaning on each other's strengths, and creating a supportive network. For those aspiring or current homesteaders, Caitlin leaves you with a message...

I am feeling the clean and declutter bug. Big time. I think that is totally normal for this time of year. More and more people move toward non-toxic cleaners every year, and I wanted to give you my favorite recipes (without essential oils... well... sometimes) in case you are looking to do the same in your own homestead. I have a complicated relationship with essential oils that are so beloved by...

Discover how to efficiently tackle your homestead tasks! Today, I'm chatting about how I managed all my homestead tasks in just 45 minutes by using the critical path method.  Streamlining tasks to overcome the chaos of jumping from one task to another can help boost our productivity while actually making us feel LESS busy. Transitioning from the strict structure of academia to the flexibility of h...

Seed organizing sounds like a daunting task, but it is actually kind of fun! Hear me out... you get to see what else you still need to buy and then go seed shopping! What could be better than that? I've learned that if I get organized in a way that works for my brain before the peak of garden season, I will set myself up for a lot more success (and a lot less stress). When it's go-time, I will get...

Whether you're daunted by the prospect of failure or success, homesteading fears can be REAL. I received a thought-provoking question from a Facebook follower and I couldn't resist talking about this topic right away (because I think it hits home for all of us). In this episode, I explore the complex emotions that come with change – from the unsettling fear of failure to the surprising apprehensio...

People have some seriously strong opinions online over homesteading things. Whether it be politics, sustainability, health claims... the list goes on and on. Don't get me wrong! I AM HERE FOR THAT! I am here for homesteaders speaking out about things no one else is talking about. What I am not all about? YOU thinking that you have to die on all of these hills. That is tiring and honestly, impossib...

I don't know how it got us again, but the family has gone through another round of colds. I thought we were done for the season! Alas, I wanted to think of things I could check off my homestead to-do list from the couch. In today's episode, I am going to chat about 5 ways you homestead while you are sick, so all of your systems don't crumble, you stay organized, and you don't come back from illnes...

Join me as I prepare to make this spring gardening season the best one yet! Remember, a little planning today leads to a lush, thriving garden tomorrow.  Why is now the perfect time to start garden planning? So you don’t get overwhelmed this garden season! HELLO! There is actually so much you can do right now. Today I am going to share my top 7 ways to prep your garden so you have your best season...

Before you add anything else to your homestead task list, you MUST get your home management systems in order. Chelsi Jo of the Systemize Your Life podcast is here to help us do just that. She walks through her systems as a crunchy mama and talks about where you can start to organize your own life and say goodbye to the overwhelm through a flexible, automated system suited to your own homestead (ye...

We often appear busy, but are we truly productive? Let’s discuss the dilemma of wanting to learn and implement new homesteading techniques but often failing to take action. In this episode, I will discuss: The Perfectionist Trap: Understanding how the fear of imperfection can lead to inaction. The Learning-Implementing Gap: The cycle of endless learning without application. The Cost of Inaction: T...