Welcome to the Myers

My beautiful Staub casserole dish, kitchen utensils, and a spice rack for pegboard

         My excuse for not writing -  being a newlywed. 

        

         No apologies.

        This is my home. We have a two bedroom apartment in the middle of the Tehachapi Mountains. I love it. 

        

         My husband and I are getting things done. I have an idea; he goes to Home Depot. One day he came home and there were dozens of tiny green sticky notes all over. I had been Pinteresting. 

        Spellcheck may say its not a word, but we know it is an active verb.

         I took my inspiration from Julia Child's kitchen. Ever since Meryl Streep graced the screen with her onion mincing and crying, I knew she was my hero. Julia Child, not Meryl Streep.

         

         Eric took me to out to HomeDepot and had them cut industrial pegboard to size, while I dreamily looked at pegs. 

         When we got home, Eric used wall anchors to mount the nails, putting in a nut to space the pegboard out from the wall. Besides the four corners, he braced the middle, so it can hold my Les Creuset Dutch Oven. 

         Organizing my kitchen has never been so easy, all I had to do was have my husband dry and put away while I wash. Instead of putting all the utensils in one jar, he dashed out of the room to grab the hooks.

        He also used screwdriver holders for our molinillos, Mexican hot chocolate whisks.

        I took the racks we picked up and use the small ones for spices, medium for Ball jars with utensils, and the large ones for pot lids and napkins.

          As an after thought we put up invisible bookshelves for our cookbooks and travel guides which had been lining the counter. All we needed was two L-brackets per shelf, more wall anchors, and Velcro pieces.

         After mounting the brackets at level, we tacked a small piece of Velcro to the back inside cover of a hard cover book and the other on the bottom of the bracket. The trick is spacing out the Velcro evenly on the book, so that it matches the bracket. The perfect distance is about 6 inches between the brackets.

      As a last note, I pulled out all of the odd shaped dishes, large pots, and my cheese grater and hung them on an overhead pot rack. My husband has to duck and weave to get the coffee pot in the morning, but he wants to be in fighting shape. 

      We still have a lot to do, but that's part of the fun. We are learning to conserve space, reduce clutter, and build a home together.  

Welcome To The World Little Ones!

Dance Hall, our sweet Nigerian Dwarf doe, just delivered twins...

Born Saturday, March 15, 2014

• Sundance & Shadow Dancer •

Shortly after birth

Warming up by momma and soaking in the sun!

Could those be blue eyes?!

A whole new world awaits!

Coming Soon... Wedding Photos!

Just a teaser, but I hope to have a few posts of Kate's wedding. A little at a time. But thought you might get a kick of how she counted down the days. Can you tell she was thinking of her beau while doing chores?

She's my gardening gal. Animals? Not so much. Needless to say, she was ready to hand off the milking to her sister, but I want all my girls to at least know HOW to take care of a few farm animals. (She can now check that one off!). And although it seems the wedding day would never arrive, it finally did.

More to come!

Homesteading? There's An App For That

Technology has certainly revolutionized life and in the area of homesteading it's no exception. So why not take advantage of that technology and use it to help in the areas of quick referencing for information, calculations, calendar memos, and tracking (journaling)?

Yes, there are apps for all that. In fact, there are quite a few! But I like simple, easy to use apps... things I would use for example when I'm actually OUT IN THE GARDEN and I don't have anything but my phone with me. I can do all the planning I want in the house, but when I get outside, it's like I can't remember a thing!

Here are a few new favorites... All for FREE.

1. Organic Gardening's "Plant Planner". 
Features include... 

• Database of plants with complete planting information - herbs, vegetables, and even flowers, which makes it great for those who have potager gardens. And photos are included! If only it included companion planting  information and rotation notes! Hopefully in a future update.
• GPS supported location finder identifies frost dates for your garden - this app has been the most accurate by far! 
• Weather data for your area - Again, because of the GPS, it's highly accurate. It even tells me what weather station the app is using to gather the info. Mine happens to be about 1.5 miles from my house.
• Option to save plants in your virtual garden for future reference. This is strictly a listing and not a diagram of your garden. However, it does keep notes of planting dates and harvest dates.
• Calendar - this is a blank page for you to add dates and notes. For example, I added what I want to plant in the future so I have a reminder (no alarm on this app). Also, I included harvest dates and I plan to add dates for sowing succession plantings. Would be even better if the calendar updated automatically if you add a plant to your garden, but all in all it's a great app that's easy to use.

2.  Vegetable Garden Calculator. 

I tend to over plant or under plant. And sometimes I just have no clue! This app's features are pretty simple... just a listing of veggies and yield information. Select "add", the number of people you are planting for, and it calculates the number of plants you need. That's it. Simple and straightforward. 

If you like this app, the same people offer a few others for a small fee that might be worth the purchase price such as "Store It Smart" - a quick reference guide to keeping all that produce fresh, including long term storage information.

3. Egg Vestment. 
Another amazingly simple app that does only one thing really well... track your egg count and any purchases so you have a bottom line cost-per-egg. L.O.V.E. it!! Would be awesome if they made one for milking goats!

If you're a new chicken owner, those eggs may be very pricy and you don't want to go showing the bottom line to just anyone! But over time, you'll see your investment pay off. And that's encouraging.

Also, this will help you set prices if you want to sell your eggs. I opted not to include my housing, but I do include the feed, new chicks, and the occasional "necessary"purchases.

4. Rain Harvest Calculator. 
I'm interested in rain water catchment and this little app will help me determine how much water I can anticipate from each rooftop collection site. The app includes the formula should you want to do your own, but it will make those calcs for you in US or Metric volumes.

For example, if you wanted to install a system on your chicken coop to water your own flock from rainwater, you could calculate that before hand to know what size storage containers to have on hand for all that water!

I know there a lot more out there, so please share one you really like. This is an on-line community and we can all benefit from great information shared among friends. Hope these make your work just a wee bit easier and more efficient!

DIY Natural Products - From A Kit!

Seems like everyone today is realizing the benefits of simple products that don't have a lot of added ingredients - especially with questionable chemicals. And most people really would like to have CONTROL of what goes into the items they apply to their skin.

So when my friend Stacia told me about the home based business she started recently, Handcrafted Honey Bee, I was super excited and wanted to share about it with all my homesteading friends. Stacia has been making products from her bees for some time, but she's recently branched out to offering kits for the DIY crowd who want to try to their hand at creating custom toiletries such as lip balms, salves, and deodorants. Now how cool is that?

It can certainly be intimidating working with ingredients and herbs that are unfamiliar, but having a kit with all the items ready to go... now that's do-able for almost everyone! And it builds confidence to branch out and try new creations. What a great gift for a friend or family member who has wanted to take the plunge, but hesitated because of lack of time, resources, or knowledge. Wouldn't it be fun to buy two different kits - one for yourself and one for a friend - and have a girls night making your own products to enjoy and share? No more excuses girls! These kits are designed to be EASY, EDUCATIONAL, and FUN!

To get started, all you need to do is pick a item you want to create, make the custom selections related to your product choice (ie: scent, etc.), and check out on line through her store site. Then when your kit arrives you can get started with the included instructions walking you through the steps to make your final product.

Each month, Stacia will be adding a new kit every month, so you'll want to check her site often or connect with her on facebook (HERE). And if you place an offer before March 15th, you will receive a 25% discount - that's certainly worth giving it a try!

I'm starting with the White Gardenia Deodorant Kit? Which one will you try first?

Something Old, Something New

The lack of posts recently have not been my mother's fault. It is all mine and the fact that I am getting married in two months.

We are all so excited here on the homestead, but it has definitely cut down all of our free time. In fact, I should be writing thank you notes right now.

But I figured it was a good time to stop and share the news. I'm getting married!

Misty Dameron Photography

Along with my big news we have had road trips, bursting pipes, and a shoulder surgery (just to name a few). Someday our lives will calm down enough so that we can get back to every day adventures, but between now and then -
Happy New Year!

Happy Thanksgiving

Blessings from The Walker Family

Photo by Wendy Carr

Farmhouse Fall Tour

I do love fall! Hands down it's my favorite time of year. I think it's all the deep rich colors that I adore the most, but the brisk mornings, occasional fog, and other "signs" of autumn just take it over the top. Really... what's not to love about it?

When it comes to dressing up the home for the season, I really don't do all that much. For the most part I prefer to bring the outdoors in a bit, but none-the-less, I thought I'd share just a few photos for fun.

Plan To Eat... On Sale SOON!

It's good to get updates every now and then on products I've reviewed in the past. One that I'm still raving about... PLAN TO EAT.

Yes, I'll be renewing my subscription at the end of this month in order to save B.I.G. when it goes on sale because I use it just about every. single. day. Now I can't say I always actually PLAN, but I do use it for storing my recipes if nothing else. I love how they easily input from websites and can be printed for my 3 ring binders. With photos!

I don't want to give the impression I NEVER plan... no, no, no. I just don't plan as often as I'd like. Life is just kind of messy like that. Did I ever mention that the older kids get, the less predictable life is?

For some of my past reviews of PLAN TO EAT, just do a search over on the right sidebar... all my past posts on the subject will appear before your very eyes.

Be sure to check out some of the NEW FEATURES, such as the cooking view... I LOVE it!! (Thank you PLAN TO EAT for continually making fantastic improvements!)

• Mark your calendar for Nov 29 - Dec 2.
• Access PLAN TO EAT though Homestead Revival if you would be so kind (it's about the only thing I'm still an affiliate for and I will earn a small commission).
• Renew or Purchase a subscription at 50% off - woo hoo!!
• Enjoy the benefits of organized recipes just in time for all that holiday cooking and baking.
• Pat yourself on the back for being so thrifty and smart.

You go girl!

Preparing Now for Advent

Hmmm... that title is a bit redundant. While the latin word for Advent means "arrival" or "coming", traditionally, it is used to signify the time period where believers prepare their heart... "the season leading up to Christmas" (J. Piper). So preparing for advent is like saying preparing to prepare!

Well... yes. That is exactly what I mean.

Advent begins four Sundays prior to Christmas Day. And I don't want to miss a second of it! I L.O.V.E. advent. Yet, if I don't prepare to practice advent IN ADVANCE, I'm sure to miss something good. At least that's how my mind works.

So each year I TRY to be prepared to prepare. I plan how I want to practice the presence of God in the days leading up to Christmas. While it always includes Sunday evening services (in addition to Sunday mornings), I usually include a daily time of reflection and meditation of some sort. Sometimes it is a book I want to read about Christ's coming, but usually it is a devotional written especially for Advent.

This year it was a no brainer...

In fact, I about shouted with joy when I saw Ann Voskamp had published her newest book, The Greatest Gift: Unwrapping the Full Love Story of Christmas. I wasted zero time getting to the bookstore to pick up a copy of my own.

And if the introduction is any indication of what awaits beginning December 1st, I will not be disappointed. {...warm smile...}

Just thought you might want to prepare to prepare and get your own copy... in advance of Advent. {... big smile!...}

September & October Highlights

Hello world. Still here in blogland... although quietly so. I don't dare promise to start writing regularly because as soon as I do, I'm sure to fail at that. Life has a way of getting busy when I least expect it! However, for now, the week is wide open with only school and Bible study and a little fun side trip planned for the weekend. Haven't done that in a while! (Road trip, that is.)

The house is still for sale if anyone's interested... it would bless my socks off to turn over Sweetwater Farm to someone who would love it just as much as we have. Around here the-cat-is-out-of-the-bag... we've found a new location that we believe will be our future homestead...

• closer to town (less gas)

• less acreage but more useable space - 2 acres all the way to the trees in back  (should be easier to maintain)

• able to build what we need (with cash when the house sells)

That alone has kept us busy with research, negotiations, crunching numbers on building, etc. While we wait for it to sell, we've kept busy...

A photo shoot for the local magazine that was lots of fun...

Tehachapi Lifestyle Magazine

Re-homing the bucklings to their new ranch...

New kittens ("B Team" Mousers in training - they're spending more time indoors than out 'cause we love 'em so much!)...

Family photos (sneak peak)...

Wendy Carr Photography

And enjoying as much of the fall weather as we can possibly absorb before the leaves are all gone...

Come Saturday, a little fall drive and my annual antique "outing" with girlfriends...

Remnants of the Past

What treasures await??!!