Freetobeme

It's something I grew up with. We raised animals and a large garden, got the leftovers after the farmers harvested, canned like crazy, made do or did without when I was growing up. I just continued the tradition. When my kids were small, we didn't have much money, so having those skills was important. When I was a single mom, it was even more important. Now with the way things are in the world, it's vital. I guess I started with food. Having the luxury of not going to the store was a big motivation. My preps were very handy on many occassions, from having extra people in the house when relative come to visit to hard economic times to being too sick to get to the store. I also like having medical supplies on hand because if you are sick or if someone is injured, that is not the time to run to the store!

I've had a few urban homesteads. What makes my place different from the average is the fact that I try to make my landscape edible. Right now I don't have much since I just moved into this place, but I do have prickly pear cactus (the young pads and the fruit are edible), I've started a garden and compost area, and I will be putting in things like grape vines and fruit trees. There is one tiny orange (I think) tree, but I don't know if it will ever bear beacause of it's location. I'm considering getting two or three hens in the fall. (Sorry Darlene, but noone cares if you have hens here.) The nearby desert has havestable foods too if you know what to look for. That's something I haven't done in awhile and should start doing again. I have Palo Verde trees in my backyard and the bean pods can be used for food, but Mesquite is better for that. I don't currently have rainwater harvesting going, but that's another thing I am planning, although we are in year eleven of a supposed seven year drought! I think homesteading is more an attitude and a lifestyle than a location. We are certainly not like our 'yuppie' neighbors whose overflowing trash cans and recycling cans are out every week!

Quote: I still have a problem with cutting out fast food when I've spent the day in town and don't feel like fixing dinner. I need to have some dinners ready made in the freezer for that. Our long-standing quick fix for that is either have leftovers, sandwiches, or spaghetti (jarred, canned, or homemade frozen sauce) with a salad and garlic bread. Any of those are ready in about 20 minutes with minimal mess.

I buy used when I can. With DD expecting her first child in Nov. we are doing a lot of garage sale/thrift shop searching for clothes. When we thought "it" was a girl, one of my friends gave us a ton of clothes and I picked up a bunch at a Moms of Multiples sale. Now that we know we're getting a boy, I have to start over, but the girl stuff will be saved for the next one in the family. I'm also making many of the things for the nursery such as crib bumpers. DD is planning to breastfeed and use cloth diapers and make her own baby food. I don't do things like getting fake nails or having my hair colored. I do go to a quality salon to have it cut once or twice a year. A good cut (at least on long hair) lasts longer than a bargain cut. We do a lot of our own repairs around the house. We don't eat out except for special occassions. We use coupons when it makes sense. We set the thermostat to about 85 in the summer and use ceiling fans. In winter, it goes to about 65 and we wear warmer clothes. I drive five miles to a park and ride and take the bus into the city for work. That saves about $200 a month on gas, maintenance, and insurance. I take my lunch, don't visit vending machines, carry a bottle of water from home, and stay away from coffee shops. We do have cell phones but no land line. This saves money because my mom, kids, niece, and I are all on the same plan so we don't use any minutes calling each other. We also get free long distance in country and a good rate on international calls (oldest DS is in Okinawa). I make a little extra money with on-line book sales. I can pick up books at garage sales for a dollar or less and re-sell them for $5 to $30 or more. I'm also investigating other products such as silverware, china, and collectibles for the same purpose. We grow a garden. Two in fact since I've moved back to the city. One is in Payson at my mom's and one here. It's cooler there, so she gets most of her produce in summer. With hot summers and mild winters, I have produce in the late fall through late spring. We economize on utilities by turning off lights, putting power hogs such as the TV and computer equipment on power strips to eliminate the draw when they are turned off.(Anything that is 'instant on' continues to draw power even when turned off.) We also wash full loads of dishes and clothes and take shorter showers to save water. I try to stay out of debt because interest is a financial prison. If I do have to charge something, I try to get a no interest deal and pay it off before the interest kicks in. BTW if you are looking to buy something or sell something, a free way to advertise is www.craigslist.com. It lists most metro areas and once you are into the metro area you usually find smaller surrounding communities too.

If you have him in disposables, change to cloth. The disposables are too comfy when wet. Also, some 'big boy' pants might work. My sons loved their superhero underwear, and of course, we wouldn't want to mess it up! Using the bathroom like dad and perhaps target practicing on bits of paper (they actually sell targets for this purpose!) could help.

DD and I have been on the phone and looking at baby things on the Internet. She wants cloth diapers and a 'gypsymama' sling carrier. This is my 'yuppie' daughter here going Earth mama on me! She plans to be a SAHM, too.

Hi all, I guess this grandma thing must be contagious around here! My DD just called me to say she is expecting. She thinks she is due in November, but hasn't been to the doctor yet. Funny girl, she did the home pregnancy tests four times to be sure. I am a thrilled and delighted lady today!!! I knew they wanted to start a family promptly after getting married, but they were planning to wait until next month to start trying. Doing the happy dance all over the place.....

Go for it!!! And thanks.

A great thing about unit studies is that you can incorporate the basics such as math and reading into them as well as social studies. You can also have children of different ages studying the same unit, just at different levels and they can all share their knowledge.

This is for your entire life: (x) Smoked a cigarette - two puffs (x) Drank so much you threw up - ( ) Crashed a friend's car () Stolen a car (x) Been in love (x) Been broken up with- (x) Shoplifted (a piece of gum when I was in second grade) (x) Been laid off/fired - (x) Quit your job - (x) Been in a fist fight (when I was a little kid) () Snuck out of your parent's house (x) had feelings for someone who didn't have them back. () Been arrested (x) Gone on a blind date - ( x) Lied to a friend - (x) Skipped school (x) Seen someone die () Been to Canada ( x) Been to Mexico ( x) Been on a plane () Been lost (x ) Been on the opposite side of the country ( x) Gone to Washington, DC (just the outskirts) (x) Swam in the ocean - (x) Felt like dying - (x) Cried yourself to sleep- () Recently colored with crayons - (x) Sang karaoke () Paid for a meal with only coins (x) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't - (x) Made prank phone calls ( ) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose - (x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue - () Danced in the rain ( x) Written a letter to Santa Claus ( x) Been kissed under the mistletoe- (x) Watched the sun rise with someone you care about- ( x) Made a bonfire on the beach (x) Gone roller-skating (and ice skating) () Ran out of gas Any nicknames- no Mother's name?.... Sarah What is your favorite drink? raspberry iced tea or beer Tattoos?.no Body piercing? ears - one hole each How much do you love your job (1-10)? not currently working Birthplace: Phoenix, AZ Favorite vacation spot?. any place warm, where my kids happen to be Ever been to Africa?... No Ever steal any traffic signs? No Ever been in a car accident? Yes A,B,C,D,DD cup size?....a/b 2 Door or 4 Door?........ truck with 'suicide doors' for extended cab Salad dressing?........ Ranch Favorite pie?......... pumpkin Favorite number?....... 7 Favorite movie?....... Fried Green Tomatoes Favorite holiday?....... Christmas Favorite food?.........Italian or Mexican Favorite day of the week?.....none Favorite brand of body soap?......Ivory Favorite TV show?........Don't have TV now Toothpaste?...... What's on sale??? Favorite smell?.... the desert when rain is falling (It's the wet creosote bush smell.) What do you do to relax? read, pet my critters, talk to my kids How do you see yourself in 10 years? Larger piece of ground, smaller house, grandkids, more relaxed What do you enjoy receiving? love

Yucky, cold, snow , knee deep and still falling. This is supposed to be ARIZONA for heavens sake!

I would like to participate.

A very valuable resource is a set of encyclopedias. You don't have to spend a ton of money on them. Go to a thrift store and buy the most up to date set. Many things don't change and if you really want to be up to date, you can contact the publisher and buy the current year book which has updated info. A good dictionary and thesaurus are also very handy. Science materials are everywhere in the well supplied home. The kitchen is an excellent chemistry lab. The shop has tons of physics supplies. Step outside for biology, astronomy, and geology. Kids should have a science notebook from an early age. There they can record their observations (in picture form for young ones). If anyone wants/needs specific suggestions on science topics, supplies, how to do experiements, just ask.

Hi all... Our winter storm finally arrived. I'm hoping that DD's wedding pics are posted soon. When they are, I'll post a link so you all can take a peek. Have a great day.

16 out of 17. I'm an extreme survivor. The shark got me.