Living a Simple Life!

For as long as I can remember, I've wanted to design & build my own home on a piece of land in which we could have a farm. Not a production farm but a family farm that would meet our family needs with a little extra to sell on our front porch stand. Along the way, I ended up in Las Vegas, Nevada. Probably about as far from country life as I could get. I grew up in an agricultural community, & my parents had enough land for chickens and a large garden plus fruit trees. I don't know what is its lately but the desire is getting stronger. In my search for information about making this a reality, I found this website, about an Urban Homesteading Family in Pasadena, California. They make due on a 1/5 of an acre. What they do is pretty amazing and you should check it out.

But, what I really like was this poster they displayed here, about what makes one a homesteader. It has inspired me to get started, because despite the fact that we live in an apartment we can still do quite a few things on that list.

* I could grow some food in containers. ~ Something is better than nothing! (Saves $)
* I could use alternative energy sources, such as oil lamps or candles instead of lights. (Saves $)
* I could practice waste reduction by recycling. (Plus make a little $)
* I could use alternative transportation, such as walking. We have quite a bit within walking distance. (Saves $)
* I could live simply, although I don't feel like I thoroughly know what that means or what it means to them.
* I could collect rain water, although we don't get much. But better than that I could collect the water that runs from the faucet while I'm waiting for it to heat up for shower's or whatever. I could wash dishes in a tub and reuse that water.
* I am a stay at home mom so technically I work at home but I could also make a product to sell for actual income.
* I think I am a good neighbor, although there is always room for improvement.
* I do most things myself. I'm currently improving my sewing and quilting skills. Learning new techniques for making bread, & dairy products like yogurt, candles, soap, canning and cooking from scratch.

I can or already do 9 out of the 10 things necessary to become a Homesteader. Little steps will help us to save money to put away for the purchase of our ultimate homestead, someday!