Planning for Spring Already

I've got a plan in mind for Spring.  My plan is to plant a beautiful, bountiful veggie garden.  I see myself picking red ripe tomatoes, sweet corn, succulent cucumbers and fiery jalapeños.  I see colorful jars of salsa, chow chow, ketchup, corn, potatoes, green beans, and pickles lining the shelves in my cupboard. 

The problem?  I live in Oklahoma. It does present some challenges.  First, the soil is mostly red clay.  Second, it gets crazy-hot during the summer.  Third, lots of droughts.  My solution?  Raised beds.  Here is my inspiration.  I love how neat and organized it is and the zinnias add a perky pop of color. 

Raised beds address all three of the problems. I can choose exactly the soil mixture I want to use. I can add shade during those long hot summer days by adding movable hoop houses.  As to droughts, I can focus my sprinkles just on the garden itself and I won't be wasting water to keep a green lawn.  That will now be garden area.  We sit on a bit over 1/2 of an acre so I have a lot of space.

Since our goal is to reduce our spending and increase our self-sufficiency, a garden is the perfect addition to our home.  I do love to cook so canning is something I really look forward to trying.  I've got a huge file of recipes already.  For Yule, I'm asking for canning supplies and books.  I hope I can really decrease our grocery bill significantly next year by utilizing my garden.  Who knows?  Maybe I can even sell some of my produce or canned goods and bring in a little extra cash too. 

The Road Home-It's Official!

I am officially on my 36 month count down. 

Life has thrown Hubs & I a few curve balls in the past few years.  I lost my job of 8 years, which sent me into a scramble searching for something new.  I had a few part-time gigs, a few temp jobs, and am now finally working full time again.  It's not really what I want, but, it's a steady paycheck until a better job comes along.  I have an interview tomorrow and another possibility lurking in the shadow so we shall see where it all leads.

Hubs had a rough time too.  After a hellish 18 months, he quit his crappy job and found out it was tough out there.  He, too, worked some temp jobs until he found a full time position, which he loves.  Needless to say, it was pretty rough for us.  Money was tight and the stress was high. 

I know many others were in the same boat as we were.  We were trying to live the "American Dream" and it almost came crashing down around us.  We were fortunate.  We had enough reserves and credit to make it through.  Yes, we now have some serious debt but at least we were able to keep our beautiful home, cars, and marriage together.  I am heartbroken for the folks who weren't as lucky as us.  We learned a lot of hard lessons during all of this.

One thing we learned was how much we both enjoyed having me at home.  The traditional set-up worked very well for us.  I had time to keep our home really clean, organize the outside chores, take care of errands, cook delicious meals, and enjoy socializing.  I realized just how important this was to me.  I always worked and this was the first time since I was 18 to experience being a full-time housewife.  This was what I was born to do.  This was the "career" that has eluded me all these years!  It really was a revelation.

Hubs got to come home to a relaxed & happy wife, a clean house, and a hot meal on the table.  He was able to focus at work, knowing he was freed from doing chores after work.  He could come home and simply relax.  Yup, this is how it's supposed to be, for us anyway. 

So on that note, we have dedicated ourselves to paying off our debts as quickly as possible, which in our case, looks to be about three years.  36 month.  156 months.  1095 days.  OK, you get the picture.  Yes, I am counting!  We started the countdown when I got my job in July.  So I'm already down almost 2 month!  WOOHOO! 

This blog is to document the road less taken.  The road to financial freedom and the road to becoming a one-income family.  The road to building a longed-for lifestyle that supports our values, our community and our hearts.  The road, literally, home.

Make-Do Monday

Guess I should 'splain. We're all familiar with the old saying:
"Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without".
Make- Do Monday is all about using what you've got. 

I think I have "Spring Fever" this week.  It's been unusually warm here the past few days (upper 50s and 60s), so I've been scrounging around, going through boxes & pulling out tchotchkes, rearranging furniture, and cleaning.  In one the corner of the garage, a half-finished project beckoned.

Early last fall, my Hubby and I paid a visit to a local antique store.  It's one of our favs because they carry a lot of mid-centruy stuff, which we absolutely adore.  Our house was built in 1963 so we give a nod to the era by adding a few small decorations and pieces in each room.  This trip, I found something I had been wanting for years.  A vintage Formica kitchen table!  And at a fantastic price!  MINE!  OK, it was mine after a quick phone call to my mother, begging her to buy it for me for Yule and my birthday.  I had to send pictures but she saw how great it was and agreed.  WOOHOO!

It needed a little tender loving care but I was willing so we took it home.  And it has sat in the garage ever since...until yesterday.  My Hubs and I took apart the formal table in the dining area and finally brought this one in.  I had sprayed the legs of the table silver and plan on painting the chairs in the next few weeks.  But it's now in it's rightful place, all clean and shiny.   

So how does this apply to Make-Do Monday?  Well, it forced me to move a few other things around in my dining area and living room.  I must say, it gave both rooms a fresh new look without spending a red cent.  Oh, and here is the table.  Isn't it cute?

Why We Eat Organic!

Smart little girl! :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exBEFCiWyW0&feature=youtu.be

Happy & Healthy New Year!

One of our New Year's resolutions is to eat better, plain and simple.  No fancy diet foods.  No special replacement meals.  Just good food done right. 

We aren't much for the concept of denial.  Both of us know from experience the more you deny yourself something, the higher the chance you're going to 'cave in' and have it.  So instead of cutting things out we love (butter, cheese, meat, pasta and bread), we're eating better versions of it.  Like grass fed meats, hormone-free dairy products, organic fruits & veggies, and whole grain products. 

The other resolution is to be better stewards of this big blue ball we call Earth.  That's right.  We've finally committed to reduce, reuse and recycle.  Heck, I'm even upcycling now!  Woohoo!   

This past year brought some wonderful things to my town. It also enabled Hubby & me to become much more focused on our goals.  What are these miraculous things, you ask?  Stores. Yup, stores.

As weird as that may sound, these new stores have provided us with the ability to put into actions all our thoughts.  Before, we were so limited in where we could buy good food and products.  Most of the time, products just were not available locally and if they were, they were so expensive.  Now, we have the luxury of actually shopping around for the best deals and have coupons to offset the higher prices.  Heck, they even have sale fliers!  Between these new stores, the farmers market, and my own backyard garden, Hubs & I are well on our way to achieving our resolutions!

Oh, here are the great new places I'm talking about!

Here are our local suppliers:

OSU Farmer's Market

New Beginnings

Infamous intro time! I'm Astrid. Nice to meet 'cha!

My Mini & Me!

 I'm a 48 year-old working woman with a dream.  OK, I actually have a lot of dreams (write a book, start a online business, finish my degree) but the biggest is to be a industrious and conscientious Hausfrau.  It's going to be a while until I can be a full-time Hausfrau and that's OK.  My Hubby & I are building a solid foundation for our future so I'll be working a bit longer to make that happen.  I'm good with it! 

Meanwhile, this blog is my way of helping myself keep organized and sane (giggle) while I juggle a busy life as full-time career woman, wife, step mommy, friend, social activist, crafter and fix-it-Gal wannabe. And if I can help out some other dreamers out there, well, that's just a great big bonus!

So, come on ladies, pull up your chair, pour yourself a cuppa Joe, and hang on.  It's bound to be an interesting ride!