The Prairie Homestead

Homesteading | Self Sufficient Living | Living off the Land

Jill Winger

202 Comments | |    Last Updated: April 10, 2019

Homemade Protective Essential Oil Blend

a I had originally titled this post differently. However, after being threatened with legal action by Young Living Oils, I have changed the name of my blend, as well as all post titles. I apologize for any confusion. If you have had any interest at all in essential oils, then you've probably come across folks talking about a particular oil blend that has a name that is a synonym of "robber." (Apparently, I can't say the name here...) I ...Continue Reading

11 Comments | |    Last Updated: April 21, 2020

Make Your Own Onion Seasoning Salt

Guest post by Lauren of Empowered Sustenance I strive to faithfully live by a few simple rules. I always refill the toilet paper roll when I use the last squares. I always wear a seatbelt. And I never wear mascara while chopping onions. Unfortunately, this unctuous seasoning salt has forced me to repeatedly break that last resolution, since I have been too impatient to remove any makeup before starting another batch! Why Make Your Own ...Continue Reading

295 Comments | |    Last Updated: May 6, 2020

Natural Deodorant Recipe made with Coconut Oil

I'm thrilled to have Stephanie of The Wannabe Homesteader  sharing her natural deodorant recipe with us today! I've always known that store-bought deodorants have some pretty nasty ingredients in them (they've even been linked to cancer) but I hesitated on making my own because I feared homemade deodorants wouldn't really do the job. I don't mind sweating a little as that's your body's way of eliminating toxins, but I didn't ...Continue Reading

58 Comments | |    Last Updated: April 28, 2020

Creamy Tomato Garlic Soup

It's funny how your tastebuds mature as you get older. (Well, at least with some people... I still know some horribly picky adult eaters I guess.) As a kid, I would run screaming when my Dad would try to feed us tomato soup, and that aversion continued well into my adulthood. Thankfully, my journey into real food has broadened my horizons a bit, and I now eat a lot of things I would never have before-- tomato soup being one of ...Continue Reading

13 Comments | |    Last Updated: March 17, 2018

How to Create a Small-Space Homestead

Image by Maggie Hoffman Guest Post by Erin Odom of The Humbled Homemaker Growing up, I never imagined I'd need to learn how to create a small-space homestead. Living in an apartment or townhouse or even a residential neighborhood wasn't even on my radar. I grew up on what my dad lovingly refers to as a "mini farm." We lived on 6 acres of land, and Holstein cows were our "pets" (until they made it to the dinner table!). My brother ...Continue Reading

Nice to Meet You

I’m Jill. I’ve never been very good at following prescribed paths.

For the last 15 years, that instinct has led me through homesteading, entrepreneurship, and creating a life my younger self could have only dreamed of.

These days, I’m less interested in living the perfect "old-fashioned life" and more interested in knowing which ideas are worth carrying forward. The first half of this story was about building a homestead. The next part is about building a life that actually fits.
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