Category: homesteading
-
Survivalist practice: Life without running water
On Monday a thin sheet of paper was shoved through the letterbox. It said the council were doing work on our street’s fire hydrants and the water to the street would be turned off from 9:30am to 4pm Wednesday. At first I was irritated but then I thought, I have all these systems in place […]
-
How self-sufficient are you? Skills check
Food, water, shelter, clothing and hygiene are our basic needs. Some people say “sleep” or “warmth” instead of shelter but I’d argue both are met by a shelter. I mean, even clothing is debatable, especially if you’re a naturist! To be self-sufficient in SHTF or in life as it is at the moment, where we […]
-
Easy and Quick Beginner Knitting Pattern: Baby Bow
This time last year I couldn’t knit. Wouldn’t have been able to tell you the first thing about knitting. Now I’m not the most skilled knitter in the world but I’ve come up with this super-easy and quick baby knitting pattern. If you are pregnant or want to make a special, unique baby gift for […]
-
How to slash your energy bill: 30 easy ideas to save money on electricity and gas
Electricity and gas prices are soaring but there are ways to reduce your electric and gas bills. Today, energy prices went up in the UK. In May, the same is happening in Ireland. Many families who are living on or close to the poverty line face being thrown into destitution. Here are some ways you […]
-
Dishwasher full of weird red stuff? Fix it!
Two years ago, I was staying with some friends who, incidentally, had our old dishwasher. It was a cheap slimline model which perfectly suited my husband and I as a couple with no kids (I think these days I’d go for a full-size model as we now cook with more plates and bigger pans). I […]
-
40 things you can clean in a dishwasher
Got a dishwasher? Did you ever think its powerful cleaning capabilities could be used on other things than plates, cups and pots? Here are 40 things you can clean in a dishwasher: Bin lids Put them on the bottom shelf at the highest temperature for maximum cleaning. Small plastic rubbish bins If you have those […]
-
10 Plants for Pollinators in Ireland and UK (and how to plant them)
When we first viewed our new home, I was surprised that the back garden was just grass. There was no fencing on one side of the garden, either, and next door’s back garden (and the one after them) were also just grass. It seems like people on our street just don’t really bother about landscaping. […]
-
Preserving the onion harvest: 3 easy ways
I have been growing onions as one of my main crops this year. Finally, over the past few days, they’ve been showing signs that they are ready to be harvested. Onions can last about 7 days in the ground once they’re ripe, so I tried to time the harvest to avoid the abundance of stunning […]
-
5 Foods to Forage in August: Ireland
One of the most wonderful things about living out in the country in a large village is the abundance of wildlife all around me. I love seeing the birds every day as the coal tits come to my bird feeder followed by the ravens, who usually grab some of the pest bugs from my vegetable […]
-
Installing a high raised bed: Garden update
I’ve decided to put in a high raised bed on one side of the back garden. We are still working on the drainage problem and I will write a lengthy article about this once it’s all sorted. Part of my waterlogged clay drainage plan is to build a high raised bed (30cm tall by 2m […]
Mama Adventure 