COMPOST POST!

compost (not ready to be used)

In an effort to have a successful garden this year, we thought we would start with compost. It really has been super easy and fairly low maintenance. We decided to take the cheap and easy way out…we are using and old plastic 50(ish) gallon trash can that is conveniently old enough to have few holes. If you decided to give it a try in a new trash can, I would suggest drilling some holes in it so that the compost can “breathe”.
We started out just raking up and putting in some leaves and throwing in some old grass clippings. Gradually, we have added used coffee grounds, used tea bags, crushed egg shells, apple peels, tomato “leftovers” , some leftover potting soil, and cow manure for good measure.
We have only had a to mix it maybe three or four times. As long as we keep the ratio of dry to wet stuff even, it doesn’t really stink. At the rate we are adding and mixing, it should be ready in a couple of months…just in time to plant!

Here are a few sites about composting to start your research if you are interested in giving it a try:

http://www.savvygardener.com/Features/composting.html
http://www.gardeners.com/All-About-Composting/5061,default,pg.html
http://www.vegetablegardener.com/item/9538/all-about-compost

What have we done this week to become more self-sufficient?
We have bought can goods for the month of January 2012 will be purchasing February 2012 can goods soon. We have been working on our compost as well as planning where we want our garden and what type of garden we want. Also, we’ve been doing research on what kinds of seeds are the best to buy…we’ll let you know about that soon!!
　
*UPDATE: On The Homemade Dish Detergent*
I only tried it once before I got excited and shared it with you all. However, using it a second time didn‘t go well. The borax/baking powder mixture got stuck in the dispenser and really didn’t clean anything. I tired adding hot water to it to make it a liquid a just got a paste. So, I have purchased some from the store and am experimenting with ways to make it last longer by adding just the right amounts of washing soda or borax. When I find the right combo…I’ll be sure to share!

And...the laundry detergent it still working great! :)

Ricky Rudd...you have been ripping me off! But I still love you!

What have we done this week to become more self-sufficient?

I(Abby) have decided to try and cut some “excess” expense out of the grocery/household items bill by making dishwashing detergent and liquid laundry detergent from scratch! Now, I know it sounds silly to do if we can afford the store bought kind, but how do I know that we always will? I need to know how to make these things now so that I won’t be left to guess later. Plus, it should show some significant savings over the course of a year. (now this is Evan… yea id say so… back to Abby)

I found the recipes at a blog I recently found and LOVE its: www.kingdomfirstmom.com
If you’re wanting to try the recipes go to:detergent recipes(the liquid laundry detergent it listed in the comments).

I have found that, the laundry detergent is working great! It looks a little scary (Evan again.. it’s the consistency of a sinus infection…back to Abby)and I am using more like 1/3 of a cup instead of the recommended ¼ . However, it is getting out my toddler’s food stains! With a little pre-treating of course! Honestly, I was surprised and I don’t really see a need to go back to the store bought kind. Even if I do miss the fancy smells. I am still using my favorite fabric softener J
The dishwashing detergent has only been used once so far and I did like the recipe suggested and used white vinegar in the rinse aid dispenser. It worked great too! But I am an obsessive pre-washer, if you put your dishes into the dish washer super crusty, it might not work that great for you.

SAVINGS!!!
I (Evan) have literally punched the numbers. (I hate math)
It Cost $8 for all of the ingredients to make the home made laundry detergent! We use around one gallon of laundry detergent/month. Our favorite laundry detergent is around $20/gal. The $8 worth of ingredients makes 35 gallons of liquid laundry detergent!!!
Yes, $8 for 35 months. 35 months of the store bought detergent could cost you as much as $700 for 35 months. That means now we pay around $00.22/month.
I’m starting to like math a little more… as Abby understated, “It should show some significant savings over the course of a year.”

Laundry Detergent

Dish Washing Detergent

What Survival Means to Us...

Sur-viv-al [ser-vahy-vuhl]
Noun
the act or fact of surviving, esp. under adverse or unusual circumstances.

What this blog is:This blog was created to let other people follow our family on our journey from being dependent on modern conveniences to being more self sufficient and ready to cope with any adverse situation that might happen in the future. Be it, financial, natural, or political disaster, our family is trying to SURVIVE!

What this blog is not:Anything other than an offer to peek in to our life and see the steps that we are taking. We have drawn the conclusion to pursue this life style after researching current events and evaluating past events. We encourage anyone interested to do the same.

What does survival mean to me(Abby)?It means being prepared! Having enough, food, water, toiletries, and anything else it takes to function from day to day stored up so that when a problem or disaster happens you can live life as normal as possible(but not in a hoarding sort of way!). If that means, storing medicines, seeds to grow food, and ammunition to hunt and protect yourself and your family, then so be it! Build a really large storage shed! Also, with being prepared one has to be adaptable. Being able to adapt is key in surviving.

What does survival mean to me(Evan)?In our time, multiple dangers and life altering disasters loom. Many are “what if’s” other dangers are not a matter of if, but when. Survival is the ability to adapt to abnormal circumstances to sustain life. Survival has many different extremes. In its purest form, it is finding ways to meet your body’s basic needs; food, water, and shelter. It is mental and physical dexterity, a fearless ability to adapt and better any circumstance. The goal to self sufficiency or at least the mostly self sufficient lifestyle is set, so that if there are any desperate times, the measures we must take wont have to be desperate.

What steps have we taken this week to be closer to self sufficient?We built a chicken coop and now have 13 Chickens! We hope be collecting eggs in a couple of months. Also, we have started our compost for the small garden we plan to have in the spring and summer. Plus in an effort to be more productive we cancelled our satellite service…but hey, at least that’s one less bill to pay! 

Our Journey to Self Sufficiency

Have you ever thought to yourself, "What would I and my family do if our way of life suddenly stopped?" With all that we've been seeing and hearing about lately, we asked ourselves the same question. And now, we are on a journey! We are taking steps to become as self sufficient as possible, maintain our life as much as possible...and survive, no matter what comes our way! We hope you will join us in our survival life!