A mantra for the new year…

 

Here we are… Last day of the year. I’m sitting quietly this morning while Little Man is taking his morning nap, Little Miss is at her grand-parents and my dear husband is putting in a few hours before the holiday starts. After 3 nights of garden planning, we’ve just put in our seed order for 2015 and we’ve discussed what our hopes and goals were for the new year to come. A list of projects was put together, finances were put in order… our new life truly begins.

This is our first New year as homesteaders, our first New year as a one income family, our first New year with me as a stay-at-home mama and our FIRST New year with a clear intent : In 2015, we are taking our life to the next level.

Let me explain…

My husband and I are wonderfully good at being talented beginners. We tend to take on many interests and get good enough at them that they are fun and we feel accomplished in our “hobbies”, but we are not the most skilled at pushing through and challenging ourselves past that point of comfort. I think that is because when we were both working, all these skills were things we did in our free time. But now, things have changed. In embracing this new life of more traditional values, simplicity and self-sufficiency, we can no longer rely on so many outside sources to “back us up” when we feel too busy, tired or just plain lazy. It is time to put on our homesteader pants and jump out of the shallow end of the pool.

So this year won’t really be about trying many new things, but it will be about pushing what we know further…

• It will be about me making my kids clothes for everyday instead of play clothes for dress up and buying the everyday wear.
• It will be about me finally learning how to knit something that is not a dishcloth or a scarf.
• It will be about converting our gardens from casual everyday eating to food-producing with conservation in mind.
• It will be about continuing to cleanse our home of unnecessary things, leaving room for experiences, creation and imagination.
• It will be about pushing our food conservation further, preparing for the colder months.
• It will be about extending our growing season, little by little, on our way to year-long gardening.
• It will be about creating a herb garden that will give us more than a few plants for salves and balms. About pushing our knowledge of herbs, foraging more, making and keeping ourselves healthy through nature’s gifts.
• It will be about taking small steady steps towards self-sufficiency and provision for ourselves and the ones we love.

So this is our mantra, our mission statement for the year :

” To truly embrace the challenges of our life choices and to finally become a homestead. “

We look forward to sharing our experiences with you. You will probably see a few guest posts from my husband over the next few months as we are diving into building projects for spring. We promise to be honest and open, sharing in our successes and failures. All help and comments will be greatly appreciated. So many of you have inspired us on this journey.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL! May 2015 bring you nothing but health, joy, peace and fulfillment in every sphere of your lives.

❤