I am trying something new I found...it is an online buying club for organic and natural products. In addition to grocery/dry goods, they are working on a 24-48 hr farm to home organic prduce plan as a part of their program. Montana will be later than more of the western coast states, but even I know Libby can't get overnight mail. If you shop organic/natural and are frustrated with high proces or don't live near a larger natural foods store, this my be of interest to you. Since I have been shopping more online, I think I will like this. I actually signed up as a Founding Trust Member because I believe in this food movement and wanted to try to get in on the bottom floor. I invite you to check out greenpolkadotbox.com to see what they have to offer and if it interests you. If so, I am asking you to use my referral number. I have a limited number of memberhip to give out each year, so if you are VERY interested, please let me know and I can try to do that for you. This is the referral URL: http://www.greenpolkadotbox.com/rewardsref/index/refer/id/9884/
My referral code is: 761068
I am interested in any and all feedback. If you would like me to remove you from my list, please let me know that too.
Amy Hughes
robamy@frontiernet.net
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Monday, December 12, 2011
Adding banners and buttons....I'll figure it one way or another!
http://theprairiehomestead.com http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j433/theprairiehomestead/holidayhop.jpg
So, I am trying my luck at posting a button for a homesteader link-up started at the Prairie Homestead, introduced to me by Pantry Paratus. So, how did I do?
So many things to consider these days: what to spend our hard earned cash on: the Daily Deal solar kit I saw on Amazon, a new french door to replace the 30 yr old aluminum slider that is drafting into our mud room, nearly freezing the apples stored within, stocking up on cheese culture from Hoeggers Supply. I did finally order Fresh, the movie, as it is half price right now and I am planning a screening for those in the know or interested in the organic/sustainable/non-GMO food movement.
As for what is going on concretely, literally, here...we are purging the house to get decorated for Christmas and have torn out about 8 more feet of carpet from the living room, so our concrete floor is now about 1/4 of the house and I continue to collect throw rugs. We decided to spend at least one night doing some sort of craft or game and tonight, we made a wreath and a swag with snippings from our tree which is spruce and gives me hives for a few hours. Unfortunately, we spent about an hour trying to get the fishing line to flow freely off the spool. I would love to take one to work but we can't have any real greenery at the nursing home.
I made more bread tonight: EVOO, sundried tomatoes and fresh garlic slices kneaded into it. They got a little brown on top on account of the fishing line fiasco. But they will eat just fine. Kids and Rob are bugging me to slice into a loaf as we are finishing the last tape of Anne of Avonlea. I had to have the kids watch a classic like that...next I will hit them with My Fair Lady!
We have a busy week of basketball and cheerleading practice and games, a concert for the Rotary meeting, a VFW Junior Girls party and the adult one the next night. We may go to the Yaak to try to get at least one cow home (the heifer). She will have to behave in the trailer if we do decide to go the the VFW party just to conserve on gas as it is on the way home!
Our two cows at home are now up in the barnyard and eating readily from the feeder and are back to bellowing if we are late in catering to their every whim! They are back to their usual slumber spot under the tall ponderosa uphill in the corner of the barnyard--after we drove them home from the neighbors which I think I wrote about last blog. Now that Rob is on the mend from his shoulder surgery, he is able to fix fence as needed and check up on the kids chores more.
We are hoping for a mini getaway at least overnight before the goats freshen again, maybe just to Bonners Ferry to stay at the casino, swim, buffet, and visit Rob's goddaughter that has a new baby and is home from her husband's base in Hawaii while he is in Afghanistan.
We did re-home our mini horse a few months ago, got all the puppies adopted out and added 5 chickens from the neighbor who was getting rid of her birds after a coop attack. We need to get a few more ducks again and get meat chicks on the spring...the freezer is empty of our last bunch. We are set on trying Freedom Rangers this year. All we need after that is a few good barn cats. Rob will ask our shelter what they have in outdoor ONLY cats.
Well, better get to slicing some bread for the restless natives...No time for pics this time:(
Will try to get some Christmas photos up next time around.
So, I am trying my luck at posting a button for a homesteader link-up started at the Prairie Homestead, introduced to me by Pantry Paratus. So, how did I do?
So many things to consider these days: what to spend our hard earned cash on: the Daily Deal solar kit I saw on Amazon, a new french door to replace the 30 yr old aluminum slider that is drafting into our mud room, nearly freezing the apples stored within, stocking up on cheese culture from Hoeggers Supply. I did finally order Fresh, the movie, as it is half price right now and I am planning a screening for those in the know or interested in the organic/sustainable/non-GMO food movement.
As for what is going on concretely, literally, here...we are purging the house to get decorated for Christmas and have torn out about 8 more feet of carpet from the living room, so our concrete floor is now about 1/4 of the house and I continue to collect throw rugs. We decided to spend at least one night doing some sort of craft or game and tonight, we made a wreath and a swag with snippings from our tree which is spruce and gives me hives for a few hours. Unfortunately, we spent about an hour trying to get the fishing line to flow freely off the spool. I would love to take one to work but we can't have any real greenery at the nursing home.
I made more bread tonight: EVOO, sundried tomatoes and fresh garlic slices kneaded into it. They got a little brown on top on account of the fishing line fiasco. But they will eat just fine. Kids and Rob are bugging me to slice into a loaf as we are finishing the last tape of Anne of Avonlea. I had to have the kids watch a classic like that...next I will hit them with My Fair Lady!
We have a busy week of basketball and cheerleading practice and games, a concert for the Rotary meeting, a VFW Junior Girls party and the adult one the next night. We may go to the Yaak to try to get at least one cow home (the heifer). She will have to behave in the trailer if we do decide to go the the VFW party just to conserve on gas as it is on the way home!
Our two cows at home are now up in the barnyard and eating readily from the feeder and are back to bellowing if we are late in catering to their every whim! They are back to their usual slumber spot under the tall ponderosa uphill in the corner of the barnyard--after we drove them home from the neighbors which I think I wrote about last blog. Now that Rob is on the mend from his shoulder surgery, he is able to fix fence as needed and check up on the kids chores more.
We are hoping for a mini getaway at least overnight before the goats freshen again, maybe just to Bonners Ferry to stay at the casino, swim, buffet, and visit Rob's goddaughter that has a new baby and is home from her husband's base in Hawaii while he is in Afghanistan.
We did re-home our mini horse a few months ago, got all the puppies adopted out and added 5 chickens from the neighbor who was getting rid of her birds after a coop attack. We need to get a few more ducks again and get meat chicks on the spring...the freezer is empty of our last bunch. We are set on trying Freedom Rangers this year. All we need after that is a few good barn cats. Rob will ask our shelter what they have in outdoor ONLY cats.
Well, better get to slicing some bread for the restless natives...No time for pics this time:(
Will try to get some Christmas photos up next time around.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Where did we shop for Christmas? USA, baby!
So, a fellow groupie of "Homesteading Antiquity Journal", a FB group subscribe to asked what folks were doing for homemade items and local shopping to avoid Big Box stres this season so he could blog about it. I had sich a long response, I will add it here:
We are doing a "Made in America Christmas" here and as much as we have tried, it is very HARD, and we have had a few slip-ups, mostly for stocking stuffers. There is a made in USA website: www.madeinusa.org that I spent alot of time browsing and found some fun things.
There are a few toys my daughter wants but we will give "Made in USA" (I hope still) CASH for that. We have shopped locally at a gift shop that has a little antique barn out back and folks like us, can always use an old style crock or tool from there.
What we found: a short small crock perfect for my shorter kitchen tools($8), a tall glass jar w/ lid (like old pickling jar w/ wodden lid w/ handle), a wooden pipe stand w/ tobacco holder ($9), new local pottery :), sterling silver band to replace hubby's forever lost one($10) made by a guy here in town, a Wild Turkey flask ($7), and a llittle gem I lost a bet over....little stainless steel hinged thingeee( I thought was a tea bag squeezer but the hinge was the wrong way!!!)) that is actually a hinged lid for a milk or cream jar ($1) and I am not altogether sue what else. Inside, the store owner's daughter has a little AVON area and my son did get a few shower gels and lotions and body sprays ($2 ea) for his sister and I added a few things to the oorder for her.
We gave each kid a certain amount to buy for sibling and parent and at first, they grabbed little things I did not like (a turtle charm and some measuring spoons made by Ganz-same people that make Webkinz), a tiny stuffed doggie to put in my purse ( I think not)....so we directed them out to the little red antique barn and it was a joy to see my son look at and pick up all the "old" things and try to figure out what they did. That was worth it all!!! Rob and I were there the previous day scoping out the shop since we hadn't been there is a long time. He got a coffee and all totaled, I think we spent $125-150. We got thanked profusely for coming in!!
We bought a used bike for Robi (that is suporting a gal who needs to raise $ for cancer surgery)and guitar for Mallory from our friend's teenage daughteer that is no longer interested. We have not been to Wal-Mart, Target, Costco, etc to shop as we would have to travel 90 mi one way to do so. We have doone quite a bit online at some of my faves like Duluth Trading and Leman's non-electric and my hubby still has a request for his 4895 gunpowder standby which he can always use!!! We have gone to our local discount store (Pamida) which is a regional store but they do have ties to Shopko, but at least we stayed here for that.
Aunties and Uncles know what we are attempting and have sent Wii games-- some that are actually made here but other things will be of their choosing. I plan to make some jewelry and maybe give some of our honey as gifts, so the homemade factor is also part of avoiding the import trap.
So, we did pretty well overall, or at least we think so. We are getting our tree today, just down the road!! Don't ask me where the lights were made that we are decorating with because we all know the answer to that...well, I think this will go as my next blog but feel free to share/use it as you like...Happy Shopping trails!
We are doing a "Made in America Christmas" here and as much as we have tried, it is very HARD, and we have had a few slip-ups, mostly for stocking stuffers. There is a made in USA website: www.madeinusa.org that I spent alot of time browsing and found some fun things.
There are a few toys my daughter wants but we will give "Made in USA" (I hope still) CASH for that. We have shopped locally at a gift shop that has a little antique barn out back and folks like us, can always use an old style crock or tool from there.
What we found: a short small crock perfect for my shorter kitchen tools($8), a tall glass jar w/ lid (like old pickling jar w/ wodden lid w/ handle), a wooden pipe stand w/ tobacco holder ($9), new local pottery :), sterling silver band to replace hubby's forever lost one($10) made by a guy here in town, a Wild Turkey flask ($7), and a llittle gem I lost a bet over....little stainless steel hinged thingeee( I thought was a tea bag squeezer but the hinge was the wrong way!!!)) that is actually a hinged lid for a milk or cream jar ($1) and I am not altogether sue what else. Inside, the store owner's daughter has a little AVON area and my son did get a few shower gels and lotions and body sprays ($2 ea) for his sister and I added a few things to the oorder for her.
We gave each kid a certain amount to buy for sibling and parent and at first, they grabbed little things I did not like (a turtle charm and some measuring spoons made by Ganz-same people that make Webkinz), a tiny stuffed doggie to put in my purse ( I think not)....so we directed them out to the little red antique barn and it was a joy to see my son look at and pick up all the "old" things and try to figure out what they did. That was worth it all!!! Rob and I were there the previous day scoping out the shop since we hadn't been there is a long time. He got a coffee and all totaled, I think we spent $125-150. We got thanked profusely for coming in!!
We bought a used bike for Robi (that is suporting a gal who needs to raise $ for cancer surgery)and guitar for Mallory from our friend's teenage daughteer that is no longer interested. We have not been to Wal-Mart, Target, Costco, etc to shop as we would have to travel 90 mi one way to do so. We have doone quite a bit online at some of my faves like Duluth Trading and Leman's non-electric and my hubby still has a request for his 4895 gunpowder standby which he can always use!!! We have gone to our local discount store (Pamida) which is a regional store but they do have ties to Shopko, but at least we stayed here for that.
Aunties and Uncles know what we are attempting and have sent Wii games-- some that are actually made here but other things will be of their choosing. I plan to make some jewelry and maybe give some of our honey as gifts, so the homemade factor is also part of avoiding the import trap.
So, we did pretty well overall, or at least we think so. We are getting our tree today, just down the road!! Don't ask me where the lights were made that we are decorating with because we all know the answer to that...well, I think this will go as my next blog but feel free to share/use it as you like...Happy Shopping trails!
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