Being Old-Fashioned on Purpose

Writing a book is weird.

It’s a multi-year project that takes everything you have. It transforms you, changes you, sometimes breaks you… but the people around you often don’t even know it’s happening.

As some of you know, I spent the bulk of last year buried in book-writing. It’s been beautiful… and often brutal. But we’re in the home stretch.

And I FINALLY have the green light to share more with you today about my new book!

Questions I’ve Been Pondering Lately…

It started as a question:

What have we left behind in our race towards progress?

I’ve felt it and I bet that you have too. We have more convenience and comfort than ever before, and yet something feels off.

• We have thousands of friends on Facebook, but still feel disconnected
• The food we eat is weakening our bodies and making us sick
• And the more we consume, the unhappier we feel

Is there anything we can do?

Are we doomed to be victims of technology and progress?

Can we push against the cultural tide?

I’ve wrestled with these questions for the past year.

And after lots of reading, research, and ruminating, my answers are YES, NO, and YES.

For me, homesteading has been a part of the solution. 

But there’s more to it than that.

In and of themselves, chickens, vegetable gardens, or sourdough bread aren’t magical. 

There’s something deeper at play in these old-fashioned pursuits. As I started writing the book, I was determined to figure out what it was. 

In a nutshell? These old-fashioned skills are pointing us to something bigger. That’s why we are so drawn to them, even now– in a world where technology dominates everything. 

The past holds the key to finding ourselves.

But that doesn’t mean we need to start reenacting history or living without electricity.

What Does Old-Fashioned on Purpose Mean?

An old-fashioned on purpose life is an awakening…

A remembering…

A returning to what matters… 

And it’s available to everyone.

Old-Fashioned on Purpose is a rallying cry for a more intentional, less industrial life.

When I distilled down what has brought me the most peace, purpose, and grounding in my own life, it came down to eight principles:

• Growing my own ingredients
• Cooking from scratch
• Working with my hands
• Escaping the human zoo
• Unplugging from tech
• Treading the earth lightly
• Parenting the old-fashioned way
• And cultivating community

These concepts are the pillars of my new book.

It’s trendy to think of these as “homesteading skills” these days… but in reality? They are “human skills” we can’t afford to leave behind in the name of progress.

What’s Inside the Old-Fashioned on Purpose Book

My new book, Old-Fashioned on Purpose: Cultivating a Slower More Joyful Life, is a book with deep thoughts about intentional living (click here to preorder!).

Since I was a little girl, I’ve sensed something was missing in our modern paradigm…

But I didn’t quite know what it was.

It wasn’t until we moved to a tumble-down farmstead in the middle of the Wyoming prairie that I found it. Rediscovering a collection of time-honored skills and principles has changed my life forever.

>> But I firmly believe that you don’t have to move to a farm to experience this same transformation.

Everyone can experience an Old-Fashioned on Purpose and intentional life, no matter where you live. 

It was important to me to write a book about this type of intentional lifestyle in a way that will inspire everyone, whether you have a homestead with 100 acres or you live in a suburb or apartment.

Some of the topics in the book include:

• The 8 pillars of an old-fashioned life (that are attainable to everyone)
• Proven strategies for growing your own groceries (even if you don’t have a backyard)
• How to find joy in the kitchen (even if you hate cooking)
• The surprising stress-relievers that can be found in your backyard
• Proven tricks for resisting the allure of screen addiction
• Six vintage parenting strategies for more resilient kids.
• How to craft a more grounded routine and save money in the process
• Why letting your kids do dangerous things makes them safer
• How to create a simpler, slower life, without moving to a farm
• The secret ingredients for cultivating local community
• Creative tips and DIYs to help you embark on your old-fashioned journey

Preorder my book and I’ll send you special bonuses!

My book will hit shelves September 26th, 2023, but preordering is open now and I’ve been creating a bunch of goodies for you!

How to Get the Special Bonuses: 

1. You can preorder from wherever books are sold (your local bookstore, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, etc).

2. After you preorder, go to www.oldfashionedbook.com and submit a photo/screenshot of your receipt (scroll halfway down to the three steps to preordering and upload the photo/screenshot in Step 2). 

3. I’ll send you a pile of exclusive preorder bonuses including: a sourdough guide, printable Old-Fashioned on Purpose wall art, a home dairy recipe book, a mini canning course, a ticket to a virtual Meet & Greet, and more! 

This book isn’t a “how-to” but rather, a “why-to.” 

No matter where you are in your old-fashioned journey, I hope it bolsters you to keep going. Because it’s worth it, friend.

Keeping it Old-Fashioned,

-Jill 

P.S. Yes! There will be an audio version too. I’ll be reading it myself and recording it later this summer. 

Also, check out my podcast episode about my new book if you want more juicy details about my book-writing journey and struggles.

You can also listen to the first chapter of my new book in this podcast episode.

 

More Homesteading Deep Thoughts:

• The Rise of the Farmfluencer (podcast episode)
• My Relationship with Homesteading is Changing (podcast episode)
• When the Old Ways Make More Sense (blog article)
• On Homesteading Stereotypes, and Such (blog article)