In this episode I had the opportunity to talk with Angela Ferraro-Fanning of Axe and Root Homestead about her new book: The Sustainable Homestead.  I love this new book because it truly acts like a blueprint for building a functional and thriving homestead.  This book is beautiful, inspiring, and a great resource for anyone looking to purchase a homestead property or to develop their own land into a permaculture paradise. It was such a fun conversation and I learned so much. Check out this episode and look for her book available now for preorder and set for release on 3/28/2023.

Angela Ferraro-Fanning is a permaculture homesteader in central New Jersey. She believes in regenerative homesteading practices that mimic patterns in nature. The six-acre historic farm is home to Clydesdale horses, honeybees, sheep, ducks, geese, guinea fowl, a small orchard, hobby vineyard, and food forest gardens. Angela is the author of several books including The Little Homesteader series, The Harvest Table Cookbook, and The Sustainable Homestead. She also co-hosts a podcast called HOMESTEADucation.

Podcast: HOMESTEADucation

Instagram: @AxeAndRootHomestead

PreOrder Now: The Sustainable Homestead

I am back with the March Monthly Swap series! I am doing a Monthly Series where I focus on swapping something that would normally be store bought with a homemade version.

Each month I will have a specific focus so that I do not get overwhelmed and can master it in 30 days.

The month of March is focused on swapping store bought condiments for homemade, from scratch ones!

Over the next 30 days, I am working to swap out packaged condiments with homemade versions. There are a few condiments that I have been doing this with for awhile such as salad dressings, cocktail sauce, and tartar sauce but there are still many that I buy from the store.

One of the aspects I am looking at is how time consuming or costly it is to make these condiments from scratch. There may be some condiments that are not worth the time, effort, and cost so I will probably continue to buy them. Having this option and ability to chose which ones I make from scratch and which ones I buy is really the freedom I am looking for.

Join me in this episode where I talk about the steps I am currently making and my goals in this area!

In this episode, I reference the Back to Homemaking Collective which is an AMAZING resource available only until the end of March 2023. You can check that out here: Back to Homemaking Collective.

Gardening season is upon us and if you are looking for a way to grow your own fruits, vegetables, and herbs but worry that you do not have enough space, container gardens may be perfect for you! 

Don't miss this episode where I got the awesome opportunity to speak with Maggie Stuckey, author of the Container Victory Garden: A Beginner's Guide to Growing your own Groceries.  

We discussed how beneficial and versatile a container garden it and how it can solve so many small space problems.

With less maintenance, easier accessibility, and greater chance for a productive garden, using containers is a must for any beginner gardener.  Even experienced gardeners with in ground gardens can benefit from Maggie's extensive knowledge.

We also discussed the inspiring history of victory gardens and how the are relevant in today's world. 

Bestselling author Maggie Stuckey is a best selling author and expert in the art of growing good things to eat in containers. For more than twenty years, Maggie has been enjoying vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers grown in her own container garden — and inspiring others to transform even the tiniest spaces into vibrant personal foodways.

In her new book THE CONTAINER VICTORY GARDEN (on sale 2.21), Maggie shares practical and comprehensive tips and techniques for container gardening alongside the rich history of the original wartime Victory Gardens, which date back to 1917.

Grab yours here or where ever you love to purchase your favorite books.

www.thecontainervictorygarden.com 

Are you looking for a way to beat those high egg prices? Have you thought about raising chickens but haven't gotten the nerve to do it?

This year is your year my friends! It is easier than you think and this episode is all about how to get started.

I got to talk with Brandi from the Mother Hen Homestead about how your can get started with your own flock of laying chickens this year!

So much great information for those just starting out! Don't miss this episode!

Brandi is first and foremost a wife and mother to two beautiful children. She homesteads on 1 acre of land with a full garden and birds. Her family have laying chickens and have raised turkeys and meat birds. Her family are hunters, fisherman, simple living folk that enjoys getting back to thier roots. When Brandi is not being a homemaker, she is a professional photographer.

You can find her over on Instagram at @motherhenhomestead.

She has a wonderful homemade shop on Etsy: SoulShinePresets

In this episode, I got to speak with Katie from the Homesteading RD over on Instagram.

She shares an immense amount of super valuable content and knowledge about all areas of homesteading.  I love following her for her insight on real food and functional medicine.  We talk all about the broken medical system as it pertains to nutrition and recovery from illness.  We also talk about how to get started making the switch to real food. This was such a valuable and real conversation, you don't want to miss it.

Katie Krejci, MS, RD, LD, IFNCP is a dietitian and homesteader for over 10 years. She and her husband have 5 acres in central Minnesota and love living a self-sufficient lifestyle. They have several large gardens and raise chickens for both eggs and meat. What they don't produce ourselves, they like to source from other local small farms as much as possible. Her passion is teaching others how to become more self-sufficient in easy, sustainable steps. Her background as a dietitian has been an interesting one. She started out thinking her passion was in clinical nutrition working in large, metro hospitals. Over the years, she came to realize how broken our health system is and how much damage has been done to our bodies. Conventional medicine is too focused on treating rather than healing. She finally made the switch to functional nutrition in 2021 and loves the ability to help her clients correct their health issues from the root cause. Getting back to the basics and focusing on real food really is the way forward.

You can find Katie on Instagram at @thehomesteadingrd or on her blog at https://thehomesteadingrd.com/

Spring is almost here! I know it might not feel like it but it really isn't that far away.

You know what that means.... time to start planning your garden!

I can honestly say that after 10 years of gardening, I am starting off this year with a sense of confidence that I haven't felt before!

In this episode I talk about what we are planning to put in the ground this year and some changes and updates we are making.

In this episode, I also talk about a really great FREE training that Jill from the Beginner's Garden is having! 

I had Jill on my podcast last year and she is one of my favorite garden experts to follow for advice and gardening knowledge.

If you are interested in starting a garden this year, sign up for her FREE Productive Garden Masterclass. There are several dates and times available! 

I definitely recommend signing up if you a new gardener.

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I am currently taking guest interviews so if there is anyone you want to hear on the podcast send me an email at [email protected]

I want you to join me for something new I am doing this year! I am doing a Monthly Series where I focus on swapping something that would normally be store bought with a homemade version.

Each month I will have a specific focus so that I do not get overwhelmed and can master it in 30 days.

The month of February is focused on swapping all of our cleaners for homemade versions!

I talked about it briefly in a previous podcast episode but I really dive in deep in this week's episode.

My plan is to take the commercial, store bought cleaners that I use and start making my own versions.

Join me in this episode where I talk about the steps I am currently making and my goals in this area!

I have always had a hard time keeping up with ever changing seasons and holidays. Decorating and making these times exciting for the kids is fun but I always lack inspiration and motivation to keep it up all year long while also keeping it simple and affordable. That is why I invited my real life friend Ashley on for this episode. Ashley Murphy of Ashley Murphy Family on Instagram covers all areas of celebrating family life. In this episode we talk all about celebrating holidays and seasons and making them enjoyable and memorable while also keeping costs low and simple. 

Ashley is the mother of three kids, 5, 3 and 1 and a wife of 7 years to her husband. She is the founder of Ashley Murphy Family on IG.

While being home with the kids she started doing preschool activities with her daughter and documenting them, which became the start of “AshleyMurphyFamily” on Instagram! Over the years she has transformed the account to share all of the things that encompass her family’s life typically following along with the seasons and holidays. She shares themed crafts and activities, decor, books, and fun food as well as local places, fun family activities, and typical things they do around the house like homesteading and playing in general. This past year she started officially homeschooling her oldest child and shares a lot of that as well!

Go follow her here: @AshleyMurphyFamily

Are you drowning in toys and feel like you can't get out from under them?

I used to be so overwhelmed by the toy mess in our house that I was tempted to get rid of all of them and never buy another toy again.

They were all of the house, in every room, and it seems like no matter how many toys my kids had, they were always bored and never played with any of them.

I don't know how I originally started utilizing a toy rotation system but once I did it was a total game changer and sanity changer!

I know many people struggle with toy overload and I hope that this episode may help!

Happy New Years! I sincerely hope you and your family had a wonderful holiday and are excited for 2023!

I am not one to really make new year's resolutions but I do think it is important to set goals and intentions for the upcoming year.  There is a lot I am not sure about yet and a lot of goals since mulling around in my head but I have a few that I am really certain of.

In this week's episode of the Simple Living Made Simple Podcast, I am talking about a few of our 2023 goals and focus.

I would love to hear about your goals for the year! Send me an email at [email protected] and let me know what you have planned!