The Prairie Homestead | How to Homestead | Self Sufficiency | Homesteading

Homestead Barn Hop #115

June 17, 2013 By Jill Winger

“Cultivating the Homestead Community”

Another busy week has flown by! I’m thrilled to report that our fencing project has been going well, and one side of the windbreak is completely finishes, whew! I’ll post pics when it’s all done.

And speaking of pics, I finally broke down and got a new camera this week! I’ve been using an ancient point-and-shoot forever, (much to the horror of my sister who is a professional photographer…), but I decided it was high-time to upgrade. I ended up with a Canon T3I, so now I just have to figure out how to use it!

What happened on your homestead this week? Ready to share those links?

This hop is hosted by The Prairie Homestead and New Life on a Homestead.

Did you share any homesteading related posts on your blog this week? If so, we’d love to have you link up below! Even if you don’t have a blog, we always welcome your comments!

Some Simple Guidelines:

1. Please remember that the Homestead Barn Hop is meant to be a place to share homesteading related encouragement and inspiring ideas specifically related to homesteading. In an effort to keep our weekly round-up clutter free, links which are not specifically homestead related, and any promotions such as giveaways, contests, carnivals, etc, will be deleted in order to maintain the integrity of the Barn Hop.

2. Please remember this is a family-friendly link up. Any pictures or posts linked to the hop which aren’t appropriate for our children to view or read will also be deleted immediately. We’re pretty conservative, so we ask that you use good judgment and err on the side of caution.

3. Make sure that you link to your Barn Hop post, not your blog’s main page, so your guests won’t have any trouble finding your great tips.… [Continue Reading]

Filed Under: The Homestead Barn Hop 35 Comments

10 Tips for a Tremendous Tomato Harvest

June 14, 2013 By Jill Winger

Tomatoes… They seem like they can be one of the easiest things to grow, and one of the hardest– all at the same time.

I’ve had a couple years where I had a bumper crop (I think it may have been beginner’s luck…), and other years where the whole experience was a big. fat. fail.

I wasn’t able to put as many plants in as I would have liked to this year (I ran out of room! A second garden spot is on the docket for next year), but I figured that I would try to nurture the ones I have as much as possible.

I’ve been digging around a bit to increase my odds of success, and here are some of the best tips I’ve found.

If you are one of the experienced gardeners in the crowd, then you probably already implement many of these tips. But if you are a newbie, hopefully these will increase your odds of success!

10 Tips for Successfully Growing Tomatoes

(Photo Credit)

1. Plant deep. If you can, bury the stem of the tomato well into the ground when you transplant. The steam and leaves that are buried will end up sprouting roots, and you’ll end up with a stronger plant.

2. Amend the hole with some crushed eggshells for added calcium. Blossom End Rot is a common problem which can be caused by a lack of calcium. A handful of eggshells at the bottom of your planting hole just might be the remedy for this trouble. And throw a bit of compost in the hole while you are at it. (Need more ideas on how to use up your extra eggshells? I’ve got ya covered!)

3. Water from the ground up. It’s best to avoid getting the leaves of the tomato plant wet if you can… (Although I’ve definitely used the sprinkler on my ‘maters in years past…) So if you can, invest in some soaker hoses to water the plants deeply.… [Continue Reading]

Filed Under: Gardening 44 Comments

What To Do With Homestead Hair (And a Giveaway!)

June 12, 2013 By Jill Winger

I don’t really give many “beauty” tips here on the blog because:

(a). I think that most of you would rather learn about milking a cow or how to do cool things with eggshells.

(b). My life is so insanely busy, that playing around with my hair and make-up are just not too high on my priority list…

However.

I still like to look somewhat presentable when I go to church or head to town to run errands. It does feel good to clean up every once and a while.

The problem is, that in order to be good at something, you have to do it a lot.

That’s why I’m pretty good at making mozzarella, or homemade tortillas, or essential oil concoctions.

And that’s also why I’m not-so-handy when it comes to hair and makeup stuff… Never have been, in fact.

During my teen years, when all the other girls were spending hours in front of the mirror doing their hair, I was outside wanting to do more “important” things (like riding my horse!)

Therefore, I’m always thankful when I can find a “shortcut” to cute looking hair- and I think Lilla Rose clips are the perfect solution to “homestead hair”– in my humble, unprofessional opinion, of course.

The Lilla Rose hair accessories keep your hair up and out of your face (a must while doing important things like planting seeds or rolling out dough…), and they look pretty and feminine while they do it! And you don’t have to be talented at fixing hair in order to use them. *a-hem*

They can also fit a wide variety of hair textures, lengths, and styles. Check out this sizing page and video to figure out what size would be best for you.

The Flexi-Clip is the product that Lilla Rose is most famous for, but they also carry hair pins, bobbies, headbands, and other unique accessories.… [Continue Reading]

Filed Under: TPH News & Announcements 186 Comments

Homestead Barn Hop #114

June 10, 2013 By Jill Winger

“Cultivating the Homestead Community”

It’s funny how things can go from mildly crazy to REALLY crazy seemingly overnight… One day you are sitting in the house watching the snow fly, and the very next day there are plants to water, grass to be mowed, fence to be built, and the list goes on and on and on…

It was a windy week here on our homestead, but Prairie Girl and I were still able to get outside and finish up the last of the garden planting, as well as putting in some replacement raspberry plants. Hubby has been working furiously on some fencing projects. After 6 years of hard labor, we are finally nearing the “end” of our list of major projects, and let me tell ya– it feels good!

We’ll never be completely done with projects, (nor would we want to be…), but it’s nice to finally be enjoying some of the fruits of our labor.

What happened on your homestead this week? Ready to share those links?

This hop is hosted by The Prairie Homestead and New Life on a Homestead.

Did you share any homesteading related posts on your blog this week? If so, we’d love to have you link up below! Even if you don’t have a blog, we always welcome your comments!

Some Simple Guidelines:

1. Please remember that the Homestead Barn Hop is meant to be a place to share homesteading related encouragement and inspiring ideas specfically related to homesteading. In an effort to keep our weekly round-up clutter free, links which are not specifically homestead related, and any promotions such as giveaways, contests, carnivals, etc, will be deleted in order to maintain the integrity of the Barn Hop.