The Homestead Challenge

Hey Reader, If you’ve ever found yourself wanting to buy one more thing for the garden, the kitchen, or your home… this episode is for you. Today I’m sharing a mindset shift that has been helping me slow down, feel more grounded, and reconnect with the parts of homesteading I actually love: Create before you consume. Before I go buy something (or consume more media), I try to plant something, make something, organize something, or fix something first. Not because shopping is bad.Not because...

Hi Reader! Who doesn’t love free plants? This weekend I skipped the long Mother’s Day lines for the free flower giveaway and instead wandered around my own garden realizing just how many “free” plants I already had growing right outside my door. Tiny chamomile popping up in random pots, volunteer tomatoes finding their own place in the garden, herbs returning for another year, and giant perennials ready to be divided into multiple plants. And honestly? It made me realize how generous gardens...

Hi Reader! Garden season is upon us, which means it’s about to be overflowing-countertop season too. 😂 And while I love canning, sometimes I just do not have the energy to drag out all the equipment, babysit a canner for hours, and process everything immediately before it goes bad. So in this week’s podcast episode, I’m talking about 5 easy ferments I’m trying this summer that actually feel doable for real life. You only need a few simple products to get started. We’re chatting about: simple...

Hi Reader! I have such a fun episode for you today—and I think it might just convince you to start growing flowers this year (if you aren’t already). I’m chatting with Josie Blessing of Olde Soul Acres, author of The Homesteader’s Guide to Cut Flowers, and we’re talking about why flowers are so much more than just “extra” in the garden. Because here’s the thing… Flowers: bring in pollinators (which helps your veggies grow better) can be used for herbal remedies add so much beauty and joy to...

Hey Reader, Today is a really special one—we are celebrating 200 episodes of The Homestead Challenge podcast. I truly cannot believe it. When I first started this whole thing, I never imagined it would turn into a blog, a podcast, a community, and this beautiful little corner of the internet where we can talk about sourdough, gardens, raw milk, ferments on the counter, seasonal overwhelm, and why we still choose this slower way of life—even when we’re tired. In today’s episode, I’m answering...

Hi Reader, I am deep in spring gardening right now… but honestly, one of my favorite parts of this season hasn’t been planting at all. It’s been noticing what’s already growing. While I’ve been prepping my garden beds, I’ve been spotting all these wild herbs popping up—things I used to think were just weeds—and realizing how useful they actually are. And the best part? I didn’t plant a single one of them. So in today’s podcast episode, we’re talking about spring foraging for beginners… right...

Hey Reader! Happy April 🌱 It might be after April Fool’s Day… but honestly, this is the time of year we all get a little fooled—just in a different way. Because if you’ve ever walked into a plant nursery (or a big box store garden section), you know how it goes. You go in for one thing…And suddenly you’re holding the biggest, lushest plant you can find, a cart full of soil that seems like a deal, and a few extras you didn’t plan on. I’ve been there more times than I can count. And the truth...

Hello Reader, I really thought this was going to be the year I had it all together (hah!). You know…Make It March ✔️Pantry prepped ✔️Meals planned ✔️Garden plans ready ✔️ I had this picture in my head that spring would feel calm. Organized. Maybe even a little peaceful. And then… real life showed up. The weather can’t decide what it’s doing (hello, Ohio).My body is reminding me I did not stay in shape all winter.The kids are… well, being kids.My husband just got back after being gone for five...

Hey Reader, We had a few warm days here in Northeast Ohio and I swear… it hit me immediately. That feeling where you walk into the kitchen and think,“I really don’t want to cook tonight.” The garden needs tended. The kids are outside. The evenings are already busy.And suddenly standing over a stove at 4pm just feels like… too much. Every summer, I hit this point... but apparently it hit me extra early this year. And if I’m not careful, it turns into a stretch of:random snack dinners, takeout,...