Baba Yaga's Cottage

The struggle is real.

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😂

Winter Seed Sowing

So this is a fun, low budget, way to start seeds. Also saves on indoor space.

So the premise is each jug creates a mini greenhouse that protects seeds and sprouts from the end of winter, in addition to hardening them off and making them more durable starts for transplanting.

It mimics seeds in nature, that fall to the ground in late summer or fall, experience cold stratification from winter, and then start on their own as temperatures increase for spring.

The catch is you can only do it with native or cold weather type crops. So tropical annuals, like peppers and tomatoes, still need their traditional indoor start.

The jugs are cut in half, and the bottom filled with potting soil, seeds are put in, then the jug is sealed up with duct tape. Take off the lid, place somewhere outside sunny, and then forget about it until spring. When you return, theoretically you will have hardy starts ready for transplanting into beds!

So I've got some peas, shallots, sage, and marigolds in jugs, and we'll see how they do.

Only spent $8 on nicer soil, and used only a bit of it for this. The rest will go to the indoor starts, as well as the cold frames.

Today was gorgeous and tomorrow is going to be even warmer.

I know it's a lie.

But it's a nice lie while it lasts 😭

Project Low Budget Garden
Update 9:

So this has been the first step of the project that has not been low budget, or even necessary, strictly speaking.

I blame Heir of Númenor

He suggested, that as this is not our property, and it's also out in the front of the house, that we should make an effort for the garden to be aesthetic as well as functional. To that end, we painted all the boxes in order to have a uniform appearance, as well as have them blend into the natural landscape a bit better.

Painting is not a necessary step, so it's money that I wouldn't normally have put into a low budget project... But that's not to say it's entirely useless. Painting does have a purpose beyond mere aesthetics. Painting provides an extra level of protection for both wood and metal that's left outside. It makes it not rot or rust as quickly as it otherwise would have, and therefore extends the life of the item. But, it's not STRICTLY necessary if you're on a tight budget.

However, it does make salvaged scrap look *much* classier than it otherwise might 😅

So $40 has been added onto the project total. But I think the results look pretty snazzy.

Let's talk Babywearing!

There are so many reasons to baby wear and so many benefits.

From an evolutionary perspective, our closest mammalian relatives baby wear as well, to keep baby close and safe. As our babies are less able to cling to our fur, we use various harnesses and wraps to achieve the same effect.

After baby is born, they are in something called "the fourth trimester" which refers to the fact that human young are not developmentally ready to be on their own. Not even on their own in a bassinet or crib really.... There's a *reason* so many parents have the same lament: "this baby won't sleep anywhere except on me!!!". It's biologically normal and appropriate!

Skin to skin can help a newborn regulate breathing, heart rate, and even temperature. Being physically close can have similar benefits. It's also comforting. From smell, to warmth, to the sound of your heart beat being familiar from the womb. Carrying your baby is how that initial bond is strengthened and attachment grows.

As baby gets older, it's not just comforting, but also convenient! Baby wearing rather than baby holding allows you to use both your hands and walk around freely. It keeps baby safe, from being dropped accidentally, from grabbing who knows what, from wandering off, or from being taken...

It also gives baby a bigger personal space bubble. Which is especially nice in our more germ aware times. For some reason strangers feel okay touching a baby that's in a shopping cart or stroller. Whereas, if baby is on you, they share your bubble, and strangers keep their distance.

It's only in our Western countries that constant baby wearing is seen as out of the norm. In many others it's the standard. In fact when researchers looked at rates of infant crying by country, it was found that places where baby wearing was standard, infants rarely cried at all! Being so close to their care giver allowed for baby's needs to be anticipated better and earlier cues picked up on, so baby had no need to cry.

Baby wearing also doesn't have to just be Mom! It's a great way for other care givers to bond with baby. From Dad, to grandparents, or even older siblings!

It's important to make sure that how you're carrying baby is developmentally appropriate for baby's age, and also that you're doing so in such a way that it's good for baby's hips. Positional asphyxiation and improper hip development are both dangers to be aware of and can be avoided with care.

There's A LOT of carriers on the market, and it's important to check that the one you're getting is safety certified, and also that you're using it appropriately. Chinese cheapies are cheap for a reason 😬. Think about it as an investment into something you'll be wearing probably almost every day. And if you baby wear more, you don't have to buy as many bouncers or baby cages 😅

It can be overwhelming to choose.... Fortunately there's places to find help! From Babywearing FB groups that can crowd source advice and give feedback, to lending libraries where you can actually go and try out different types or brands.

Below are a multitude of the carriers we've tried over the years, as well as examples of some of the different carry positions.

I've generally preferred more structured carriers (vs wraps and slings) but part of that I think is due to liking extra back support as well as wanting to do more active things. For around the house or quick outings, then slings are fine.

Accurate....

Congratulations on surviving the darkest weeks of winter!!! We made it to the other side.

And I don't know about you, but all I can think of is spring and things to come ♥️

Project Low Budget Garden
Update 8:

All four beds are fully constructed and in place!!!

Two of three cold frames are constructed and in place!!

Also got the cattle panel trellis arch up and in place. Still have one more trellis to go up. But other than that things are pretty much together!

Now just need to get them filled and we'll be ready for spring 😍

Slightly depressing, but very true 😩

Okay, so we've got insect plague locked in. What others we got coming for 2024?

Of all the possible bu****it claims 🙄🤬

Wake up, friends, new propaganda just dropped!
..how could this be possible?

Project Low Budget Garden
Update 5:

Today has been like Christmas 🤣

After putting out an "in search of" message on my local community FB page, I actually had someone volunteer to DROP OFF wood rounds!!! I didn't need to go pick up, haul, load, or anything!!! Even better, when he arrived he volunteered to *unload* it as well (this guy was seriously amazing). So not only did I get a full truck bed of wood rounds for free, they were DELIVERED and UNLOADED for me! Seriously, it's like Christmas ♥️

Then, continuing my good day, my sister and nieces watched my kiddos for a few hours and I finished the third garden bed! Only one more to go, the end is in sight!!!!

Once garden beds are in, then the layering begins.... Filling them will use the "hugelkultur method" or as some pages have renamed it "lasagna method". This method is a no till, cost effective way to fill a deep bed by layering different types of compostable material, starting with large logs, then smaller sticks, wood chips, leaves, then finally fertilizer and soil.

As I fill the beds, I'll post more on why it's a great method.

Also to come, videos of this third bed, that I'm fairly proud of, because I included a hinged hoop top for the part of it that will house strawberries....

But for now, I'll just revel in my pile of wood rounds (and the even bigger pile of wood chip mulch in the background).

What are your reasons for homesteading?

Food security? Food safety? Self reliance? Sustainable green practices? Prepping? What attracted you to the hobby/lifestyle?

The only benefit to a polar vortex....

I just think of all the ticks that hopefully won't make it to spring 😒

Every little bit helps!!

F**k lawns!
https://www.nwf.org/Home/Latest-News/Press-Releases/2022/5-02-22-Consumer-Gardening-Report

😏

Dreaming of spring....

Project Low Budget Garden
Update 4:

Two of four beds done. But free scrap is running low, and I'm impatient.

As much as I'd like to do everything for free.... I'd also like to finish before the deep snows come.

So the next best thing to free is cheap.

Every lumber store has a pile of lumber that doesn't make the cut for sale. At Home Depot it's called "cull lumber" and marked with purple spray paint and kept at the back corner of the store. Lowe's and anywhere else that sells wood will have a similar pile somewhere, you just have to ask where they keep it. And how much it's discounted.

I've heard that some places will just dumpster it and you can pick it up for free. But at Home Depot it's 70% off.

You can ask what days they trash it and try to get lucky, or come in the day before trash day for the biggest pile. Some days you have more selection than others. I got lucky today and had a big pile to choose from!

Cull lumber is imperfect in some way. It's most often bent or warped, but could also be cracked or broken, or have a giant knot in it, etc etc.

This makes it not good for nice projects. But still perfectly usable for a lot of homestead projects... Whether you're building an animal shelter, or making garden beds, I guarantee you, the chickens and tomatoes are not going to judge if your 2x4s are a bit bent.

So for $11 I got enough 2x4s to finish the last two beds!!

Pregnancy got me like .....

Project Low Budget Garden
Update 3:

First of 4 beds, done and in place!!

Thankful for the thaw in the weather that made placing it much easier. Winter is confused, but I'm taking advantage of an extended fall!!! No need to hurry up the blizzards 😂

Old school lessons, still applicable to today.

With potential power outages warned about, things to consider...

It's called the one cup tip. You put a cup of water in your freezer. Freeze it solid and then put a quarter on top of it and leave it in your freezer. That way when you come back after you've been evacuated, or gone awhile without power, you can tell if your food went completely bad and just refroze or if it stayed frozen while you were gone. If the quarter has fallen to the bottom of the cup that means all the food defrosted and you should throw it out. But if the quarter is either on the top or in the middle of the cup then your food may still be ok. It would also be a great idea to leave this in your freezer all the time and if you lose power for any reason you will have this tip to fall back on. If you don't feel good about your food, just throw it out. The main thing is for all to be safe.

Magic

“When you hold your baby, especially skin-to-skin, her body temperature depends on you. The warmth of a mother’s breasts are naturally modulated to keep her baby at the perfect temperature promoting restful sleep, optimal oxygen saturation, and saving her baby the energy it takes to stay warm. This redirects valuable calories into more critical things like growth.
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Breast temperature can rise and fall rapidly as your baby is warmed. As your baby starts to cool, your breasts heat up again, by as much as 2 degrees celsius in two minutes.
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So, cuddle your baby if she has a fever and you’ll cool her down. Wear your baby and keep her at the perfect temperature when it’s cold outside. And sleep with your baby keeping her warm and snug in the wee small hours of the morning.”
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📷: 💛

Project Low Budget Garden
Update 2

Starting to assemble materials!! 6 metal shelves per bed means I've got enough to make 4 beds of this type. They're 7ft long x 3.5ft wide x 2.5ft tall.

Scrap wood currently collected should be enough to cover that many. Though I'll admit it's annoying having to get out old nails and jigsaw uneven lengths into configuration. Spending money on uniform 2x4s would indeed be easier.... But I'm determined to keep costs low.

So far all materials have been free.

If we're getting nitpicky, then screws to put wood together were at one time purchased, though they were on hand, rather than freshly bought. To be equitable, I'll throw in some dollars to the total to cover them at the end.

♥️

Research by Vicki Greene, a biosciences student at South Devon College in the UK, went viral when she shared images of nine petri dishes containing the bacteria M. luteus, to which she had added human breastmilk from a mom of a 15-month-old and from the mom of a 3-year-old.

The results were incredible.

In the center of the petri dish, where the breast milk was placed, the bacteria was completely killed off. Research continues, with similar results having been seen for E. coli and MRSA.

Similarly exciting results were reported in a groundbreaking 2010 study that showed breastmilk contains a substance known as HAMLET which has been shown to kill forty different types of cancer cells.

Supporting this are results from a 2015 investigation published in JAMA which analyzed 18 studies related to leukemia and breastfeeding. Researchers found that breastfeeding a child for six months or longer was associated with a 19% lower risk for childhood leukemia. Encouragingly, their analyses also revealed that children who were ever breastfed had an 11% lower risk for childhood leukemia.

The composition of breastmilk does change over time but it does so in order to match the evolving needs of a child. The notion that breastmilk has no nutritional value or protective function beyond a certain age is completely false.

A study published in the journal Pediatrics, reported that the fat and energy contents in milk from moms who have been nursing for more than one year were “significantly increased” compared to milk from moms breastfeeding younger babies. Some immune factors also increase in concentration during the second year of breastfeeding.

According to KellyMom.com, 448mL of breastmilk provides toddlers with 29% of energy requirements, 43% of protein requirements, 36% of calcium requirements and 94% of vitamin B12 requirements.

Breastfeeding through and beyond babyhood is completely normal, natural and healthy. So mama, nurse for as long as it feels right for you. One day at a time. You got this 💪🤱

Counting down the top ten posts of 2023 🔥

📷: ✨

Called out 😩😬