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- Winterize Your Home Now + Boost Your Homesteading Confidence
Winterize Your Home Now + Boost Your Homesteading Confidence
Oh, and what’s the most unusual thing you’ve ever tried growing or raising on your homestead?
Cedie Omaña
October 29, 2024
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now."
— Chinese Proverb
HOMESTEAD TIP OF THE DAY
Add a thick layer of mulch around trees, shrubs, and beds to insulate roots and keep the soil cozy.
What’s the most unusual thing you’ve ever tried growing or raising on your homestead? |
IN TODAY'S EDITION
Homestead Tip 🌱
Poll Results From Last Sunday 📊
All Things Homestead: Home Winterization 🥶
Personal Development: Why Confidence Matters in Homemaking & Homesteading 🏡
Today's Top Picks 🛍️
Let’s Keep It Reel 🤣
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POLL RESULTS FROM LAST SUNDAY
Should homesteaders grow high-maintenance crops that provide specialty or niche products (like saffron or truffles), or focus on low-maintenance crops that are easier to grow?
🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️ Specialty crops are worth the extra effort for their market value.
🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️ Low-maintenance crops are more practical for self-sufficiency.
🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ A mix of both high- and low-maintenance crops offers balance.
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 It depends on the homestead’s goals and available labor.
via @beehiiv polls
Feel free to participate in fun polls in our next newsletters! 😉
ALL THINGS HOMESTEAD
Home Winterization 🥶
Winter’s creeping in, and now’s the perfect time to make sure your home is snug, warm, and ready for the chilly months ahead. The goal? Keep the heat in, the cold out, and avoid any mid-season surprises. Let’s walk through a few easy ways to get your home winter-ready.
1. Seal Up Those Drafts
Ever feel a little breeze sneaking through your windows or doors? That’s your house whispering, “Help, I’m leaking heat!” A few quick fixes can lock that warmth inside where it belongs.
Weather Stripping: Add it around doors and windows to block out cold air.
Door Sweeps: Install these under doors to stop drafts from sneaking in.
Caulking: Got cracks around windows or pipes? A little caulk works wonders to seal them up.
Why It Helps: Less heat escaping means your heater gets a break—and your wallet does too.
2. Insulate Your Windows
Windows are like big energy portals—good in summer, tricky in winter. Here’s how to keep them from letting out all the warmth.
Plastic Window Film: A clear film acts like an extra layer to block the cold.
Thermal Curtains: Swapping lightweight curtains for thermal ones traps heat inside.
Pro Tip: Open the curtains on sunny days to soak up natural heat. Close them when the sun sets to lock it in.
3. Tune-Up Your Heating System
Your heater has one job—keeping you warm. But it needs a little TLC to do its best work.
Check Woodstoves and Pellet Stoves: Make sure they’re working safely and efficiently.
Clean Chimneys and Flues: A blocked chimney can trap heat and cause trouble—so keep it clean.
Efficient Space Heaters: For spot heating, a good space heater works wonders.
Emergency Heat Sources: If your area gets hit with power outages, having a portable heater as backup is a lifesaver.
Why It’s Smart: A well-maintained system keeps you warm without hiking up your energy bill.
4. Keep Your Pipes from Freezing
Frozen pipes can be a nightmare. Luckily, a little prep now will save you a lot of hassle later.
Wrap Exposed Pipes: Pipes along outside walls or in cold spots need insulation.
Drain Outdoor Water Lines: Don’t forget to empty garden hoses and faucets—frozen water equals trouble.
Bonus Tip: On those especially cold nights, let faucets drip just a bit to keep water moving and prevent freezing.
Get Winter-Ready with Confidence
Winter might be unpredictable, but your home doesn’t have to be. Sealing up drafts, insulating windows, giving your heating system some love, and protecting your pipes will make sure you're ready for whatever the season throws your way.
So, grab a warm drink, wrap yourself in a cozy blanket, and rest easy knowing your home is prepped for the cold months ahead. You've got this! 🏡
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Why Confidence Matters in Homemaking & Homesteading 🏡
Nobody starts out knowing how to bake sourdough, raise chickens, or can vegetables perfectly. Homemaking and homesteading are all about learning through trial and error.
Confidence makes the difference between giving up after a flop and trying again with a smile. Without it, it’s easy to feel stuck. With it, you’re more likely to embrace the process, even when things don’t go exactly as planned.
Confidence Gets You Moving
Ever delay starting a garden or a project because you weren’t sure you’d get it right? Confidence helps you dive in and get your hands dirty. Whether it's planting your first seeds or trying your hand at candle-making, getting started is half the battle. And guess what? It doesn’t need to be perfect—progress is the real win.
When you believe in yourself, you’re less likely to overthink things. And if it doesn’t go as expected? Well, that’s just part of the fun! Even if your bread turns out like a brick, you’ve learned something new.
Bouncing Back After Mistakes
Things will go wrong—sometimes a lot. Your first batch of pickles might be too salty, or your carefully crafted compost pile might turn into a mushy mess. Confidence helps you shrug it off, learn from it, and try again. Instead of thinking, “I can’t do this,” you’ll say, “Next time, I’ll try it this way.”
Even the most seasoned homesteaders have had chickens escape, burned jams, or lost plants to frost. The key is learning to laugh it off and keep going.
Celebrate the Little Wins
Small wins really add up. Growing your first tomato or figuring out how to store potatoes properly are victories worth celebrating. Each success, no matter how small, builds momentum. Before you know it, those little wins will give you the confidence to tackle bigger projects.
Every Challenge Has a Story
Most homesteaders have hilarious first-attempt stories. Maybe you burned your first loaf of bread or had to chase your chickens back into the coop. Those moments are what make the journey memorable. Confidence helps you see them as part of the process, not reasons to quit.
Confidence Makes the Work Enjoyable
When you believe in yourself, you’ll enjoy the experience more. It’s not just about finishing tasks—it’s about finding joy in the process, whether that’s gathering eggs, sewing curtains, or making herbal tea from your garden.
So go ahead, give it a try, laugh at the flops, and savor the wins. Even the best homesteaders started with a few hiccups along the way!
THE STEADY HOME’S GIGGLE CHAMBER
How do apples avoid bad habits?
They always try to stay on the core-rect path.
TODAY'S TOP PICKS
LET’S KEEP IT REEL!
I've put together some fantastic farm videos that are sure to make you laugh. Take a look and enjoy the fun!
Just a duck and a farm dog having a little squabble:
@woods.farm what I kind of picture going on in their heads😂 had to repost this video as the sound was muted on the last one🤷🏻♀️ #wackywoodsfarm #grea... See more
This looks like a scene straight out of The Lion King with real-life Pumba and Timon:
@rubennamibia The real-life Pumba and Timon!! 😍🥰 #warthogs #meerkat #funnyanimals #cuteanimals #farmlife
If you haven't seen a goat hitching a ride on a horse yet, you're in for an adorable treat:
@thedodo A little help from a friend ❤️ #horse #goat #animals #funnyanimals @Cute Farm Animals
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